The Delta North Senatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Development Congress (NDC), Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Victor Onyekachi Ochei, has unveiled a community-driven development plan aimed at addressing infrastructure, agriculture, youth empowerment, security and economic challenges across the senatorial district.
Ochei presented the plan during an engagement with Presidents-General of communities across Aniocha and Oshimili, where he described traditional and community leaders as critical links between the people and political office seekers.
He urged the Presidents-General to speak courageously about the challenges facing their communities and hold elected representatives accountable, stressing that effective representation must begin with listening to the people.
According to him, “development cannot be imposed from a distance,” adding that his proposed approach would begin with a comprehensive needs assessment and development mapping of communities across Delta North.
Ochei said the exercise would identify community priorities, agricultural potentials, infrastructure gaps and available mineral resources, while involving Presidents-General, farmers, youths, women, professionals and other stakeholders in determining development priorities.
He also promised to promote a political culture where opportunities are based on competence, character, enterprise and service rather than family connections or political patronage.
On agriculture, the former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly identified the security of farmers and farmlands as a major priority, citing insecurity, destructive grazing practices, poor rural roads and inadequate access to farms as challenges affecting food production.
He said he would advocate stronger rural security, effective livestock-management measures and closer collaboration between communities and security agencies.
“Agriculture cannot prosper when farmers are afraid to visit their farms or uncertain that their crops will survive until harvest,” he stated.
Ochei proposed the establishment of organised agricultural farm clusters across Delta North, where farmers producing similar crops would be organised into cooperatives and supported with improved seedlings, mechanised equipment, irrigation, affordable financing, technical expertise and extension services.
He said the clusters would be linked to agro-industrial centres for processing, packaging, storage, transportation and marketing, enabling farmers and host communities to participate in more stages of the agricultural value chain.
Using cassava as an example, Ochei said Delta North should move beyond the production of garri to exploiting other commercial opportunities in cassava, including industrial starch, flour, animal feed and other products.
“Delta North must stop selling agricultural products cheaply and buying them back as expensive finished goods,” he said.
The senatorial candidate also proposed a waste-to-wealth programme through which agricultural waste would be converted into commercially useful products. He cited cassava peels for animal feed, crop residues for composting and renewable-energy projects, and rejected fruits for juice and concentrate production.
On infrastructure, Ochei identified electricity, rural roads, storage facilities and access to markets as critical to the success of the proposed agricultural and agro-industrial clusters.
Drawing on his engineering background, he proposed strategic investment in substations, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks to improve electricity supply to homes, farms, processing centres and small businesses.
He said reliable electricity would help reduce production costs, preserve perishable agricultural products and attract private investment, while improved rural roads and storage facilities would facilitate movement of farm produce and reduce post-harvest losses.
Ochei further said youth empowerment should go beyond training programmes by connecting young people to finance, equipment, employment and markets.
He said the proposed agricultural and industrial clusters would create opportunities in farming, food processing, transportation, packaging, storage, equipment maintenance, marketing, technology and export services.
He also identified manufacturing, textiles, sports and the creative economy as areas with potential to provide sustainable opportunities for young people.
Referring to the stadium he said he personally built in Onicha-Olona, Ochei said investments in sports infrastructure could support the development of young athletes while generating economic opportunities for traders, transport operators, food vendors and hospitality businesses.
