UDU/Nigeria: The long-abandoned Delta Steel Company (DSC) complex at Ovwian-Aladja could be given a new lease of life as a steel plant or converted into a broader industrial hub under a proposal being advanced by the Senator representing Delta Central, Ede Dafinone.
Dafinone said he was seeking Federal Government intervention to determine the most viable future for the sprawling industrial facility, which he described as too important an economic asset to remain idle.
The senator spoke during a visit to the Ovie of Udu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Engr. Michael Ogheneovo Orugbo, JP, KP, Okporua I, where he outlined his priorities for industrial development, employment creation and human capital investment in Delta Central.
According to him, he had undertaken an assessment of the steel complex with industry experts after spending several days examining its history, present condition and prospects.
He said the first option would be to determine, through a comprehensive technical assessment, whether the plant could realistically be restored to steel production.
The alternative, he said, would be to repurpose the complex as a modern manufacturing and industrial village if restoring its original steel-making operations proved technically or financially impracticable.
Dafinone said any decision on the future of DSC must be based on evidence, including the present condition of the plant, the status of its equipment, whether critical components had been removed and the cost implications of restoring production.
He criticised the management of the facility over the years and said previous concession arrangements had failed to produce the desired outcome.
For him, however, the immediate priority was not to dwell on the failures of the past but to find a practical pathway for returning the industrial asset to productive use.
Dafinone said his approach to political representation was centred on creating opportunities that could have lasting benefits for constituents rather than concentrating on personal wealth.
He said his late father, Senator David Omueya Dafinone, left a reputation that he regarded as an important legacy and which he was determined to preserve.
The senator said he had used his position and contacts in Abuja to pursue opportunities in federal employment, education, accommodation, contracts and other areas for people within Delta Central.
He disclosed that since becoming Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character, his office had facilitated federal employment for some constituents, adding that he intended to use his access to government institutions to expand opportunities for the people he represents.
Dafinone also gave an account of his constituency interventions, saying projects had been deliberately distributed across Delta Central rather than concentrated in a few locations.
He said interventions had so far covered 83 of the 85 political wards in the senatorial district, with efforts underway to reach the remaining two.
Among the projects he cited were a 53-bed student hostel at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, a railway halt at Egbo-Urhe in Ughelli South, a maternity ward at Ughelli General Hospital and an Accident and Emergency Ward at Sapele General Hospital.
Beyond physical development, the senator called for deliberate efforts to preserve Urhobo cultural heritage, arguing that younger generations needed access to properly documented traditions and language.
He identified practices associated with marriage ceremonies, funeral rites and kola nut presentation among cultural elements requiring greater documentation, alongside the preservation of the Urhobo language.
Dafinone said he would again support the Urhobo Language Competition, an initiative associated with the late Senator Pius Ewherido, in an effort to encourage younger people to learn and retain the language.
He warned that failure to document traditional practices could leave future generations without a reliable reference to their cultural heritage.
The senator also encouraged Urhobo professionals living outside the region to maintain links with their communities and contribute their knowledge, experience and resources to local development.
Responding, the Ovie of Udu Kingdom commended Dafinone’s approach to representation and urged constituents to assess the senator’s performance beyond the immediate financial assistance he might offer individuals.
The monarch said elected representatives should be judged by the quality of their legislative work, the relationships they establish with institutions and the opportunities they succeed in attracting to their communities.
He specifically challenged Dafinone to explore Udu’s potential for gas-based industrial development, pointing to the kingdom’s gas resources and existing industrial assets as a foundation for attracting new investments.
The traditional ruler also raised concerns about the condition and management of the Delta Steel Company, alleging that some of its assets had been removed and saying the palace had documented what it considered evidence of asset stripping.
He said photographic evidence relating to the alleged removal of assets had been forwarded to law enforcement authorities.
The monarch also raised concerns about the community’s expected benefits from activities associated with the industrial complex and called for greater attention to the interests of the host community.
He urged Dafinone to engage the Minister of Steel Development and relevant National Assembly committees in finding a sustainable solution to the problems surrounding the steel plant.
The Ovie pledged the support of the traditional institution for efforts to engage the Federal Government on the future of DSC and other investment opportunities in Udu Kingdom.
He described Dafinone as a technocrat capable of contributing to national development and called for stronger cooperation between elected representatives and traditional institutions.
The engagement ended with both sides emphasising the need to pursue industrial investment, employment opportunities, human capital development and cultural preservation as complementary elements of development in Delta Central and the wider Urhobo area.
The renewed attention on DSC comes against the backdrop of longstanding efforts to return the Ovwian-Aladja complex to productive use. The senator’s proposed two-track approach places the emphasis on establishing, through technical and financial evidence, whether the facility’s future lies in a revival of steel production or a wider industrial redevelopment.
