Fight Poverty With Agricultural Programmes, Osawota Urges FG

The former Secretary in the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC, and current aide to Governor Infeanyi Okowa, on politics, Chief Andi Osawota, has called on the federal government to ameliorate the poverty level of Nigerians through what he described as, “Mega Agricultural programmes.”

Addressing journalists at his Effurun country home, Chief Osawota noted that, “it is only when the people are engaged in agricultural productivity that the government will solve the challenges of hunger in the country. When youths are docile, they become belligerent, angry and criminally minded but when they are busy, they would not be involved in crime.”

On why mainly the youths from Ijaw are engaged in the amnesty programme of the federal government, Chief Osawota said, “The Ijaws have been the fellers of the wood and fetchers of the water in the Niger Delta region. They arose from that state and fought to be recognized and they have been recognized. The other ethnics groups are peaceful people who do not fight. As such the federal government did not recognize them. But the federal government should not under rate their peaceful disposition not to add then to the amnesty programme. They should be inclusive.”

While expressing confidence on the preparedness of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to, again take over the presidency in 2023, he said, “PDP will continue to have permanent power in Delta State, such that it will always have its ways in the governorship sit in the state because it has the support of the majority, the minority can keep having their say.”

He also praised the effort of the state governor, Dr Infeanyi Okowa, in planning and executing development plans in the state, making the people to give him their supports.

On the part played by DESOPADEC, Chief Osawota said, “DESOPADEC did greatly and marvelously during my time,” adding that, they touched many areas and made enormous contacts which were good living standard of the people of the state.