Evang. Gabriel Isibeluo, Chairman, Delta State HOSTCOM (2nd right), Dele Nami, Vice Chairman, Delta State HOSTCOM (right), and Dr. Joshua Ojie, Secretary, Delta State HOSTCOM (3rd right)
By Emeka Nwokocha
A 2-week long town-hall meeting cum Ethnic Mobilisation and Sensitisation of host communities on the forthcoming 2019 elections being organised by the Evang. Gabriel Isibeluo led Delta State HOSTCOM was successfully rounded off on Monday 11 February, 2019, with the Urhobo nation hosting the last session.
Addressing the mammoth crowd of the sons and daughters of Urhobo nation, Evang, Gabriel Isibeluo, Chairman, Delta State HOSTCOM, expressed satisfaction at the peaceful atmosphere under which the activities of the day was being conducted. He tasked the Urhobo nation to make good use of their large population foster socio-economic development amongst its people.
Isibeluo recalled that HOSTCOM had been shot out of the management of the oil resources due the host communities in the past years, saying the development negates the purpose the pressure group was established to achieve.
He remarked that if HOSTCOM fails to intensify its agitations, many things will go wrong, saying that the pressure group is committed to determine its destiny by partnering with the government of the day.
“As a pressure group, we want to move away from passivity and become very active group. In the coming political dispensation, we want to project our members to become Commissioners in DESOPADEC.
“Taking a look at the developments in the past years, we cannot say we are enjoying DESOPADEC considering the way it is being run. But if we have our own holding sway in the Commission (DESOPADEC), we will have better opportunities to achieve our desired goals,” he stated.
Evang. Isibeluo told the enthusiastic crowd that HOSTCOM would play a decisive role in determining who governs Delta state in the upcoming political dispensation, noting that the re-election bid of governor Ifeanyi Okowa would be given full support, even as he called on the host communities to vote en masse for governor Okowa.
Continuing, Isibeluo said that governor Okowa had shown commitment in the growth of HOSTCOM, stressing that it had benefitted enormously from the governor’s developmental policies in recent times. Adding: “HOSTCOM would have benefitted more if all that governor Okowa approved were fully implemented.
On gas flaring money, Evang. Isibeluo said that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved it, adding that a 15-man committee had been constituted to look at the proposal on disbursement of the gas flaring money, appropriate and forward it to the states. He however, stated that the money shall be shared pro rata.
In his earlier address, Comr. Andrew Agoyo, Chairman, Urhobo HOSTCOM, thanked Evang. Isibeluo for his progressive leadership initiatives, asserting that the town-hall meeting was a commendable effort to projecting the ideals of HOSTCOM through a healthy synergy with the government. He said the Urhobo host communities are united to support governor Okowa’s reelection, adding that they will vote massively for him in the 2019 gubernatorial election.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, Comr. Sweet Otiotio, youth leader, commended governor Okowa for his achievements, saying that he should be commended by President Buhari for steering the state on the path of peace and prosperity.
