Former Special Adviser to the immediate past governor of Delta state, Mr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, on Inter-Party Relations, Mr. Taju Isichei, has lamented what he called twenty years of underdevelopment of Delta state by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
Mr. Isichei who made this observation Tuesday, at the Labour Party, (LP), secretariat, Asaba, after picking his intent and nomination forms, to contest for the Oshimili South constituency seat in the state House of Assembly in the forthcoming 2019 general elections, declared that he is in the race to rescue the remains of the constituency from the shackles the ruling PDP has plugged the constituency into in the last twenty years.
“By 2019, it will be 20 years that PDP has been ruling Delta State and in the state house of Assembly representing Oshimili south. If we are normal human beings, then we should think right. If by 20 years, you elected the first house of Assembly member, what is on ground to show for the 20 years of PDP. PDP must be voted out come 2019, “will you trade your destiny for another four years.?”
The two times governorship candidate however stated that the incumbent governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, should be thankful God that he is not interested in contesting the 2019 governorship against him, “Okowa, is very lucky that I am not contesting the governorship.”, stressing that he was motivated to join the race following the underdevelopment that has bedeviled the council area amidst huge budgetary allocation with nothing to write home about.
“I am using this medium to send signal to Oshimili south in particular and to my great people of Asaba that I, Taju Isichie have hereby concluded to pitch my tent with the party that I have always loved and belong to, Labour Party and to declare my intention to run as the representative in the State House of Assembly to represent Oshimili South local government come 2019.
“I remember when I use to come back home when I was a child to celebrate Christmas in Asaba and now I am an adult, there is nothing that have changed”, disclosing that in the 21st century, a state capital like Asaba, still lack road infrastructure. I sat down and I thought about it. What is wrong? Is it that there is no budgetary allocation to Oshimili South that makes Asaba to look backward?
“I found out that we don’t have good representatives that is representing Oshimili South local government in the state House of Assembly and that is why I am coming so I can be able to make laws for the people of Oshimili south local government and Asaba the state capital where there will be conducive environment for business to thrive and where there will be also conducive environment for people to live well”.
Mr. Isichei, vowed that the budgetary provisions for Oshimili South would be judiciously used if elected to represent them at the state House of Assembly, adding that “We need a man that cannot compromise, we need a man that is tough, we need a man that can represent Oshimili south that will be able to call a spade a spade.”
The House of Assembly hopeful who unveiled his campaign slogan as “Enough Is Enough”, said it was enough for epileptic and lack of power supply, bad roads, insecurity, lamenting that the state capital has no existing general hospital that befits it and to take care of the health needs of the people.
“The general hospital we have in Okwe, can you call that general hospital a modern hospital? Can you compare it with what you have in Agbor, Uvwie in Ekpan, Warri? What have Asaba people done wrong that the face of a state capital cannot be seen on ground? Today, every state capital has a University even federal University. There is no University in Asaba”, ascribing the non-existence of a full fledge University in Asaba to the reason why youth from Oshimili south are being insulted”.
The politician with many years of experience hinted that the constituency needed a thorough breed that could proffer solutions to the challenges of the people, “by enacting or proposing a bill and that is where I am coming”.
While opening the can of worm on those that have represented the area in the House of Assembly, he said “I want to say here today that all the people that have been representing us all these while in the state House of Assembly have been dorsal, they have been there doing nothing and the reason is not far-fetched because they believed that their money got them into that place.
“When election time comes, they give you N1, 000, N2, 000, N3, 000 and you say carry go and you suffer it for another four years while they, their wives, children, concubines and their girlfriends are over there in abroad. I want to make myself available as a servant of the people that at the end of my time on earth, I will say this is what I have done for my people. I am hereby calling upon you to please accept me, please use me, and please send me”.
The politician who is fondly addressed by his teeming followers as “Ikuku” said “when you cannot pay the school fees of your children, ply on bad roads, eat what you want but what you see, put on clothes because you just want to cover your nakedness and not to look beautifully adored you are mourning. And I want to say enough is enough”, he declared.