As Delta State marks its 35th anniversary, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other stakeholders have lamented what they described as worsening hardship and declining living conditions among Deltans, blaming poor governance, weak leadership, deteriorating infrastructure and the failure to harness the state’s vast resources.
Key Highlights
- Delta State marks 35 years amid criticism over poor living conditions and inadequate development.
- Senator Ovie Omo-Agege accused the state government of failing in governance, infrastructure, security and economic management.
- Omo-Agege said major roads have deteriorated despite the state receiving over ₦4 trillion in revenue.
- Stakeholders lamented the rising cost of living, citing the sharp increase in the price of a bag of rice.
- The NDC blamed the decline on poor economic planning, deindustrialisation and weak continuity between administrations.
In separate assessments of the state’s 35-year journey, the speakers painted a grim picture of a resource-rich state where citizens continue to grapple with poor roads, inadequate electricity, weak public education and healthcare systems, insecurity, unemployment and the rising cost of living.
While their perspectives differed, they converged on the view that the benefits of Delta’s enormous resources have not sufficiently reflected in the lives of ordinary citizens.
Omo-Agege: ‘We don’t have governance in the state right now’
Omo-Agege, a former Deputy Senate President, NDC Senatorial Candidate for Delta Central and prominent opposition figure in the state, anchored his assessment on what he described as a failure of governance, particularly in infrastructure, security and the economy.
“Your gauge is as good as mine. We don’t have governance in the state right now,” he said.
He expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of major roads, recalling that travelling between Warri and Sapele, which previously took about 30 minutes, could now take several hours.
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“I tell people that in times past it took 30 minutes to move from Warri to Sapele, but today it takes about five hours. We have no roads,” he said.
Omo-Agege questioned why the situation should persist in a state which, according to him, had received more than N4 trillion in revenue.
“This is a state that has received over four trillion naira — trillion, not billion,” he said.
“The question the people are asking is why should we have this kind of deplorable roads when we have so much money coming to the state?”
While acknowledging that flyovers could address traffic congestion in appropriate locations, he argued that road connectivity should not be sacrificed for highly visible projects.
“All we are asking is that some of these monies should be expended in fixing those roads. We’re not even looking for new roads right now. Just reconstruct or repair the existing roads,” he said.
Omo-Agege also highlighted the rising cost of living as another measure of the hardship confronting households.
“Four years ago, a bag of rice was N23,000. Today, a bag of rice is N120,000,” he said.
On insecurity, he argued that Deltans were not necessarily safer than they were four years ago.
“Four years ago, yes, there were challenges with insecurity. Today, it is even worse,” he said.
He further lamented the fate of kidnapped students, arguing that public attention often disappears even when victims remain in captivity.
“The first day, people are angry; the second day, people are angry; the third day, they forget,” he said.
His assessment of the incumbent administration was unequivocal.
“This government has failed us,” he declared.
NDC: ‘Delta has been in disarray’
For Philip Adu Odogwu, Delta State Secretary of the NDC, the hardship confronting Deltans is linked to a deeper economic problem — the failure to develop and sustain the state’s industrial base.
“That is why we have presented a candidate, the person of Kikiisi Yowai, and our aim is to reset Delta,” Odogwu said.
“What that tells you is that Delta has been in disarray.”
He argued that successive administrations had failed to establish sufficient continuity and direction in the state’s development.
“When the military were in power, you saw Delta with cohesion and focus. But the civilians that took over from there lacked cohesion,” he said.
Odogwu identified the collapse of industries as one of the clearest signs of the state’s economic decline.
“If you look at Delta Steel, there are over 25 companies owned by the state government that are moribund,” he said.
He also lamented the decline of Warri’s once vibrant industrial economy.
“I also found that Delta State was the hub of oil servicing companies. When you get to Warri, it’s a shadow of it,” he said.
His proposed solution is an economic reset anchored on industrialisation and private investment.
“Once we reset Delta, one of the key things we’ll do is to industrialise Delta, to revitalise Delta and to bring in investors to reactivate Delta,” he said.
Stakeholders: Citizens still struggling with basic needs
At the grassroots, the assessment was even more severe.
Prince Jefas Ogbon, President of Olomu Community, argued that 35 years of statehood had not brought sufficient improvement to the lives of many communities.
“For the truth, 35 years of Delta State, we are still like we were in 1987. 1987 is even better,” he said.
“We are not doing well at all.” He cited electricity and roads as examples of basic infrastructure that remain inadequate in some communities.
“If they are doing well, we should have light. We should have good roads,” he said.
Ogbon also described the impact of inflation on households, saying the purchasing power of ordinary citizens had fallen sharply.
“Before, if you went to the market with N20,000, you could buy food that you and your children could eat for at least one week. But now, with N70,000, you cannot buy anything,” he said.
Education was another major concern.
“Go to the primary schools. Primary school pupils are sitting on the floor to write,” he said.
“What can they learn?”
He questioned the priority given to anniversary celebrations when communities continue to face basic development challenges.
“Even the money that we use to celebrate, spend that money in our educational sector or in our health sector,” he said.
Atare: ‘There is nothing to show’
Ufuoma Steven Atare, convener of the Delta Democrat Forum, assessed the state through the quality of life of its citizens.
“We have fared abysmally poorly because, at 35, there is nothing to show the effect of governance in the lives of Deltans,” he said.
According to him, governance should be judged by tangible improvements in citizens’ welfare.
“A good government should be shown in the life of its citizens,” he said.
He identified healthcare, education, water and electricity as areas requiring urgent attention.
“Basic human needs, after 35 years, are still not available,” he said.
He further lamented the condition of public schools and hospitals.
“Our children are still sitting on the floor in our schools. Hospitals are ill-equipped, with no equipment and no furniture,” he said.
Atare attributed the situation largely to leadership.
“We need a governor that has an idea of what to do in governance, somebody who has built something before,” he said.
Egedegbe: ‘We are not that grown’
Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, Secretary-General of the Ewu Clan Development Forum, offered a more measured assessment, describing the state’s performance as mixed.
“I would say there is a mixed feeling for me. We have fared slightly good and, of course, not good,” he said.
“A 35-year-old man or woman is fully grown, but for us as a state, we are not that grown.”
He blamed the lack of a long-term development framework for some of the state’s shortcomings.
“I expected that Delta should have a blueprint like you have in Lagos State, like you also have in the Federal Capital Territory and some of the states that have 30 years strategic plan, 50 years strategic plan,” he said.
Egedegbe also questioned the disparity between the state’s revenue and its level of development.
“Don’t forget that Delta State is the highest revenue state in this country for so many years now,” he said.
“But if you see the development, it’s not comparable.”
He lamented the lack of industrialisation and electricity despite the state’s abundant resources.
“No industry, no cottage industry, no major industry,” he said.
He ultimately identified poor leadership and lack of vision as fundamental problems.
“It’s poor leadership. Poor leadership and visionless leaders that we have over time,” he said.
Osekene: ‘We are not progressing’
Gabriel Osekene, another stakeholder, said the state’s wealth has not translated into sufficient progress after 35 years.
“As a state with so many resources, blessed and enriched, 35 years, my brother, we are not going forward. We are not progressing with the plenty money that is even coming to the state,” he said.
He questioned whether the current situation reflected the potential of a state as richly endowed as Delta.
“Is this supposed to be like this?” he asked.
His final assessment was blunt:
“I am not in the position to go sell Delta as being in a good shape because it’s not good. Our leaders are bad.”
Despite approaching the anniversary from different political, economic and community perspectives, the speakers repeatedly returned to the same concern: the gap between Delta’s resources and the lived experience of its citizens.
