BY AUSTIN OYIBODE
As the people of Delta wait anxiously for the governorship election to hold with three gladiators jostling for the soul of Delta, it is pertinent to critically examine the welfarist program of Olorogun Barrister Kenneth Gbagi, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP. Gbagi is one of the leading contenders for the coveted seat, a seat that will be vacant for another occupier on May 29, 2023.
Olorogun Barrister Kenneth Gbagi is seriously interested in becoming governor to provide better life for the people of Delta state. He began his quest for the plum office in 2019, immediately the incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was sworn in. Although many thought he would fizzle out midway considering the financial burden in running a governorship campaign in a state as complex as Delta, however, rather than fizzling out, Gbagi had grown stronger in his pursuit for a liberated Delta.
As his campaign train moves from one local government to another, he has outlined good welfare programmes for the people of Delta state. His welfare initiatives cut across health, education, job creation, housing among others. In all the rallies, campaigns, personal visits, he has consistently said that he is out to provide social service for all Deltans across the 25 local government areas in the state.
For Gbagi, nothing is acceptable until it is perfect and meet international best standards. Being a man loaded with great ideas, Gbagi has planned to block all loopholes and avenues of financial leakages in all ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) as soon as he becomes governor. His government will activate machineries to block corruption in government offices and flush out officers with dubious tendencies. Gbagi, being an incorruptible man, is hell-bent on championing a guerilla war against agents of corruption and thievery in government offices.
By this, which will definitely be successful, Gbagi is out to save huge sums of money for Delta and will apply sane to development projects in the state. The ghost workers syndrome is one of the biggest cankerworms stealing government money through the instrumentality of permanent secretaries, directors, general managers, chairmen of boards and parastatals. This phenomenon will definitely collapse when Gbagi assumes office.
Gbagi is set to deploy every available means to fish out all ghost workers, remove them from the system and save money for the administration of Delta state. It has become worrisome that workers who are full time employees in private sectors or self employed are drawing funds from government coffers without visiting offices where they presume to be working. This is done in connivance with permanent secretaries, and directors in the various MDAs. As soon as Gbagi resumes office, this menace will stop.
Gbagi has also said that students from primary to tertiary institutions will enjoy tuition free learning for as long as he remains governor of Delta state. Though students in public primary and post primary schools have been free over the years, Gbagi is set to raise the bar by including students of all higher institutions that are owned by Delta state government. These schools include all universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, schools of nursing and midwifery, technical colleges and others.
One may begin to wonder where will Gbagi raise funds to run the schools if all schools are free in the state. It is pertinent to state that Gbagi is a man with a high level of business acumen. He has consistently baffled his hearers when he list avenues where he would raise funds to actualise these lofty ideas for Deltans. He has said that he is a business man before becoming a politician. So, he knows where and how to source for funds to run the schools to the extent that the school authorities will not feel the impact of non-collection of fees.
As at present, the state universities of Abraka, Ozoro, Agbor and Asaba with the the two polytechnics of Ogwashi Uku and Otefe-Oghara are collecting exorbitant fees from students whose parents groan to pay the fees. Gbagi understands that one of the functions of government is to provide basic welfare services for the citizens and assist the people to live a better life. Gbagi detests a situation where government authorities in whatever sector exploit citizens through ungodly bills, milking the poor for their personal aggrandizement.
Gbagi is bent on lifting burdens from parents, youths and students with the objective of making everyone have a sense of belonging in the administration of the state. This program will be applicable to both indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state. This will be one of the biggest social justice programmes of the SDP in Delta state. And Gbagi is set to make it a reality.
In a similar vein, the SDP governorship candidate has vowed to pay every youth in the state N30, 000 monthly pending when he will create jobs for them. He said he would computerize all the youths and have data of all unemployed youths. And with that data he will know the number of youths with jobs and those without jobs. In this wise, Gbagi seeks to create a means of livelihood for all Deltans.
Gbagi, a criminologist and entrepreneural expert, is set to employ these job creation avenues and tuition free education to combat criminal tendencies in the state. His belief is that when everyone is gainfully employed, crime rate will, on its own, reduce as everyone will be engaged in different productive ventures across the 25 local government areas of the state.
On the issue of health institutions, Gbagi has said that he will develop Delta hospitals to the extent that no government official will fly abroad for any medical treatment for whatever ailment. As at present, many of our hospitals are in dilapidated state, leaving one to wonder whether any good report can come out of it. But Olorogun Gbagi is determined to change the situation of the hospitals.
Also, Olorogun Gbagi had long said he would low cost houses for Deltans in select towns across the state. This is to help curtail the geometric rise in the cost of accommodation in the towns and cities of Delta state. Deltans should know that Gbagi meant business and is ready to bring all his promises to fruition as soon as he becomes governor.
What Deltans need to do is to cast their votes for the Social Democratic Party SDP on March 18, 2023, the new date for the governorship and state assembly elections.
Article written by AUSTIN OYIBODE
