Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s gubernatorial candidate in Delta State, has pledged to ensure that all Deltans and residents, regardless of religion or ethnicity, have access to the same opportunities under his administration.
If elected on March 11, 2023, Omo-Agege has promised to treat every Deltan and resident equally in all matters involving the government.
The politician from Delta Central made the promise during a town hall meeting in Effurun, Uvwie local government area, with members of the Muslim community and other non-indigenous residents of the state. He was outraged by the idea that people who live there, work there, and pay taxes to the state should be subject to bias because of their religion or race.
The APC gubernatorial candidate has pledged to make merit the primary factor in hiring and other government assistance if elected governor.
He said that all citizens, businesses, and taxpayers in Delta State are treated equally since they all have a vested interest in the state’s success.
As governor, Omo-Agege has vowed to address the observed disparity in school tuition between indigenous and non-indigenous kids in the state.
Furthermore, he guaranteed that the APC-led state government he would be leading would fund Muslim pilgrims to Israel and treat them with the same respect and courtesy that the state government showed to their Christian brothers who made the same journey.
If he had his way, he would have told them, “I want to commit to you that whenever we decide as a government to make an appointment to the Pilgrims Board, I will consult you. On my own as a governor, I will not decide to make an appointment to the Muslim Pilgrims Board without consulting you.
“Let me also tell you, there is one thing I like about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. When he was the governor of Lagos State, he appointed Christians and Muslims, and he appointed people who came from other states; as we speak now, we have an Urhobo man as a Commissioner and another Urhobo as a member of the House of Reps in Lagos State, Tinubu started it, and other governors after him have continued in that tradition.
“My friend, Governor Nasir el Rufai of Kaduna State, did the same thing; once you can deliver on your task, where you come from is immaterial, he appointed an Isoko man as Special Adviser, and we are going to replicate that here in Delta when we assume office by the grace of God.
“The Muslim community is a very big block in Delta State, so you will have someone speaking for you at the State Executive Council meeting as a Commissioner that can assure you.
“As far as you are in Delta State, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, you will pay equal school fees for your children. You are all Deltans because you have chosen to make this place your home and because you all contribute to its well-being through taxation.
“If there is a job opening, both children of Christians and Muslims are free to compete and have equal employment opportunities. They will all be considered equally, with no discrimination.
“The same principle of fairness will be applied to pilgrimages. As the State government sponsors Christians to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage, so, we will sponsor Muslims for the pilgrimage to Mecca.
“I assure you that I will carry you along. There shall be a Special Adviser from among you Muslims to interface between my government and the Muslim community, and also in terms of farmers and herders relationship.”
Earlier, the Chief Imam of Oghara, Alhaji Mohammed Maija, bemoaned the poor treatment of the Muslim community by successive PDP-led governments in Delta State. He said that they were discriminated against when it came to job opportunities for their graduate children and paying school fees at State-owned tertiary institutions.
One of the Muslim community’s leaders, Alhaji Yusuf, responded on their behalf, promising that Muslims across the state would be mobilised to vote for the APC’s gubernatorial candidate and other party candidates.