N100Bn Oil And Gas Park: Omo-Agege Hits Back At Dafinone, Says Project Must Not Be Sabotaged

ABRAKA, DELTA STATE — Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has accused Senator Ede Dafinone of attempting to undermine the proposed ₦100 billion Oil and Gas Industrial Park in Eku-Salubi, Delta Central, saying political rivalry should not be allowed to jeopardise a project capable of creating jobs and driving industrial development in the region.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaughe, the former lawmaker said the project was a major federal investment that should be protected, completed and delivered to the people, regardless of who takes the political credit.

Omo-Agege said the recent criticism of the project by Dafinone and his camp appeared to be driven by political rivalry rather than genuine concerns about its viability.

He particularly questioned Dafinone’s position as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, arguing that the position placed a responsibility on him to protect Delta Central’s interests.

“This matters because the Senate Committee on Local Content, of which Dafinone is Vice Chairman, is precisely the body with oversight responsibility over this project,” the statement said.

The former lawmaker challenged Dafinone to produce evidence if he believed the project was technically flawed or commercially unviable, rather than relying on what he described as media surrogates.

“If Dafinone genuinely has technical concerns, he sits on the Senate committee that oversees exactly this project — he can summon the officials, demand the assessment, and publish the findings himself,” he said.

Omo-Agege also rejected the claim that the Eku-Salubi site was “landlocked”, arguing that the location sits along the River Ethiope, which connects several communities in Delta State before flowing through Sapele into the wider river and maritime network.

He said the project was sited during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari through his efforts and received backing and approval from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board under its then Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote.

According to him, land had been acquired, environmental assessments conducted and the site cleared, describing the development as part of the groundwork already undertaken for the project.

Omo-Agege further questioned Dafinone’s alleged silence when there were moves to relocate the project from Delta Central to Delta South.

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He said Dafinone, who was Vice Chairman of the Local Content Committee at the time, had the platform and responsibility to defend the project’s location.

The former lawmaker credited former Governor James Ibori and his daughter, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, with helping to prevent the project from being moved out of Delta Central.

He said it was therefore difficult to understand why Dafinone was now raising concerns about the project’s viability.

“If Dafinone truly believes this project is flawed or unviable, there’s a straightforward path: as Vice Chairman of the committee, he can call for an independent technical review, summon the relevant officials, and make the findings public,” the statement said.

Omo-Agege also questioned the timing of the criticism, saying there was no known NCDMB announcement declaring the project cancelled, dead or unviable.

He challenged Dafinone to produce any technical report showing that the Eku-Salubi site could not support the proposed industrial park.

According to him, the project is expected to create jobs, promote local manufacturing and stimulate energy development, including the provision of 24-hour power to Eku and its environs, Orogun and the university community in Abraka.

He described the project as the most significant industrial investment to reach Delta Central in a generation, comparing its historical significance to the Aladja Steel Complex, which was contracted in 1977 and commissioned in 1982.

Omo-Agege said the project should not be regarded as his personal property or a political trophy, stressing that its completion should take precedence over political differences.

He asked Dafinone to state clearly whether he supported the completion of the ₦100 billion Oil and Gas Industrial Park, whether he supported keeping it in Delta Central and whether he had technical evidence that the Eku-Salubi site was unviable.

He also asked the senator to explain what he had done, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, to protect the project when it was allegedly under threat.

“The Urhobo Nation deserves real answers. Not anonymous articles. Not political surrogates. Not score-settling dressed up as concern. Not an industrial investment turned into a political trophy. Answers,” the statement said.

Omo-Agege reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the project completed, saying its importance went beyond him, Dafinone or any political party.

He said the economic future of Delta Central should not be sacrificed for political ambition.

“Those who couldn’t build it shouldn’t be allowed to destroy it,” the former lawmaker said.