The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday said the PDP government if elected into power would ensure the creation of state police for all the 36 states, noting that the “federal police is grossly inadequate to secure Nigerians.”
Okowa also stated that much fund was still needed for the development of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would ensure the enforcement of the Petroleum Industry Act, including provision on host communities’ fund, if elected president in 2023.
Okowa stated this during the PDP governorship campaign flag-off in Warri South and Uvwie Local Government Areas, of the state, saying that Deltans were privileged to have one of their own selected to become vice-president in the next dispensation.
According to the governor “So much fund is needed for the development of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, and when elected, Atiku-Okowa administration would change the poor conditions in the oil-bearing area through full implementation of the Act. I urge all Deltans to rise and collectively support PDP, we must work hard to ensure victory for the party. Atiku-Okowa ticket will take care of some of the teething problems facing the nation and we have resolved to ensure that our people are taken care of, particularly the oil bearing communities.
“There is a provision in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), that is the Host Communities Fund and we will ensure its full implementation for the benefit of the oil-bearing communities. On how our party intends to tackle insecurity in the country, Atiku Abubakar will engage relevant stakeholders to ensure constitutional amendment to legalize state police.
“We have observed that the federal police is grossly inadequate to secure Nigerians and therefore, we are advocating the establishment of State Police to enable every state have its own police to handle peculiar security challenges. Aside the State Police, we will recruit more hands into federal police, procure more weapons and provide adequate logistics and intelligence gathering devices for effective policing.”
Okowa announced that a N2.9 billion contract for renovation of the Warri township stadium had been awarded and works would begin shortly which include the changing of the tartan tracks, all the chairs as well as internal drainages within the stadium, explaining that “We did not commence the renovation earlier because of the storm drainages we are constructing in Warri, but now that we have done over 70 per cent of the storm drainage project, we are about to start the Warri Stadium project.”
“We will do a comprehensive renovation of the stadium and I thank you all for your patience and understanding over the years. After completion of the drainage, we will start construction of the roads to enable them last longer,” Okowa said.
