By Wilson Okorugbo
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s media office has trapped itself in a glaring contradiction that exposes a calculated attempt to misinform the public. On September 12, when an independent analysis was published raising technical concerns about the proposed ₦100 billion Industrial Gas Park, Omo-Agege’s camp conveniently labelled the author as part of “Senator Ede Dafinone’s media team.” They ignored the actual substance of the critique and instead demanded that Senator Dafinone speak under his own name. Yet yesterday, the same camp issued a triumphant statement claiming that Dafinone has “finally spoken”—referring to yet another piece from the same independent voice.
This is not just a tactical slip; it is outright misrepresentation. The writer is an independent political analyst, not an aide on Senator Dafinone’s payroll. By falsely attributing his independent commentary to Dafinone’s media team, Omo-Agege’s office engaged in a deliberate ploy to manipulate the narrative to avoid responding to the question raised, pressure Senator Dafinone, and distract him from the core issues facing Delta Central.
This raises a fundamental question of integrity for the Urhobo Nation: if Senator Omo-Agege’s office can blatantly lie to the public about who authored a statement, what else are they lying about?
Omo-Agege’s camp cannot have it both ways—falsely labelling independent writers as “Dafinone surrogates” when it is convenient to avoid hard questions, while simultaneously portraying those same external write-ups as Dafinone “finally breaking his silence.”
If Omo-Agege’s team believes Dafinone had not spoken until now, whom were they inventing arguments with all along? More importantly, why fabricate a lie to the Urhobo people just to score cheap political points? Godwin Anaughe should do better than this!
Today, another desperate narrative being pushed by Omo-Agege and his supporters, allegedly hiding behind other voices, is that Senator Ede Dafinone is sponsoring the relocation of the Industrial Gas Park to Koko. Nothing could be further from the truth. Why will a Dafinone, an Urhobo advocate promote relocation of a project that will benefits thesame people that he represents?
That claim is another false narrative designed to mislead the public and distract from the real issues surrounding the project. Senator Dafinone has already issued a public statement clearly stating his position on the status and future of the gas project. His position is unambiguous: he does not support any move to take the project away from its present location in Delta Central or undermine the interests of the Urhobo people.
Unlike those making unsubstantiated allegations, Dafinone has put his position on record and signed his name to it. He has made it clear that, as the former Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, he will continue to engage relevant authorities to ensure that the project is properly executed to the benefits of the host community of Sanubi-Orogun and the people of Delta Central.
So, what more do Omo-Agege and his team want from Dafinone, or is it a case of giving a dog a bad name to hang it?
Perhaps the more important questions are those that Omo-Agege himself and his team have yet to adequately answer, stakeholders have raised legitimate concerns about the circumstances that influenced Omo-Agege’s choice. These are substantive issues that deserve clear answers, and Omo-Agage has failed to answer them; rather, he chose political accusations and spreading outright lies that doesn’t befit his statues in society as a statesman.
Why should the collective interests of the wider Urhobo nation be reduced to the interests of one individual and his family? I challenge Omo-Agege and his spin doctor Anaughe to produce evidence to back their claims that Dafinone was working with other interest to relocate the Gas Project from Orogun to Koko, if Omo-Agege is unable to produce these evidences, Urhobo Nation should know who is telling a lie and betrayer of the Urhobo course.
The debate, should therefore, not be reduced to personalities or political rivalry. It should be about transparency, due process, and the overall interest of the Urhobo people.
If as he claims, Omo-Agege is apparently from Koko maternally. That makes it even more important for him and his team to explain their position clearly rather than attempting to attribute to Dafinone a relocation agenda he has publicly rejected.
Those making contrary allegations should therefore stop creating political distractions and answer the substantive questions being raised by stakeholders about the location, land acquisition, technical suitability and the overall interest of the Urhobo nation.
Comrade Wilson Okorugbo, Media Aide to Senator Ede Dafinone, writes from Ughelli, Delta State.
