Three-time member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Frederick Agbedi, states that Nigeria cannot continue to be run like a unitary government.
Agbedi, frontrunner for the PDP governorship candidature in Bayelsa State, stated this while addressing correspondents in Yenagoa at the weekend at the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel Media Forum For Bayelsa State governorship aspirants.
He stressed that if elected governor, he would annex whatever federal assets he could to Bayelsa State, noting that Lagos State had continued to do so for the betterment of their people.
He said he would be ready for any backlash, saying, “If elected governor, whatever is federal that I can corner to Bayelsa, I will corner it. If you want to overrun me, come and overrun me. Nigeria cannot continue to run like a unitary government.”
On the plight of oil producing communities in the state, he stated that he was disposed to the establishment of oil-producing areas commission since such a commission would warehouse funds for the development of critical communities.
He disclosed that he had once trekked about two hours to Okunu community where he is building a primary school, fell down several times and arrived muddied to the surprise of the villagers.
According to Agbedi, it is such communities he would want to visit, saying, “I want to go to those villages that are producing oil, those villages that are not benefitting from IOCs, not benefiting from projects. That is what I want to do, the things I know and not what somebody prepares for me to read.”
He promised to turn Bayelsa environment around to be attractive to tourists and not necessarily make the state Dubai explaining that his Onward Restoration and Transformation Campaign Organisation is aimed at restoring, sustaining and transforming the state arguing that there would be no remodelling.
He assured on the dredging of the Epie Creek, creation of local flavour to attract tourists and that he would pay attention to Yenagoa, the state capital, as it was the face of the state and create both vertical and horizontal canals to drain it.
On connecting with the Abuja, he promised to acquire as much as “we can attract from the Federal Government” as he would connect with his colleagues in the National Assembly to get what belong to the state.
