Hon. Fred Agbedi, the member representing Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa on Friday said he would give priority to development of oil communities in the state, if elected governor.
Agbedi, one of the 21 aspirants jostling for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party in the September 3 primaries made the pledge while addressing journalists in Yenagoa.
The lawmaker said that he was favourably disposed to the establishment of Oil Bearing Communities Development Commission to warehouse funds for development of such areas.
He promised to patronise indigenous contractors and strengthen their capacity to compete with their peers at the national level.
He said: “My administration will ensure that Bayelsa money is domiciled in Bayelsa, by patronising indigenous contractors and paying them for jobs done. We have a lot of competent and skilled people of Bayelsa in business, we must patronise them to help them grow.
“We will not want capital flight from Bayelsa so we want to groom a crop of entrepreneurs who will have the financial muscle to grow the economy of the state and partner with investors to harness the abundant natural endowments for the benefit of the people of Bayelsa.”
On the issue of zoning among the three senatorial zones of the state, Agbedi said that there was no such arrangements.
He said: “I am privileged to be one of the founding fathers of this state and from 1999, people from across the three senatorial districts have always aspired and contested. From the historical perspective, in 1999 the race was between Bayelsa Central and West.
“The primaries for the 1999 was also contested by aspirants from the three zones. The shift of power across the three zones have been natural and not by any deliberate zoning. I do believe in zoning but we have never had any in place in Bayelsa.
“I challenge anyone to a public debate on zoning in Bayelsa and in any case since power has moved round across the three zones and Bayelsa West currently holds it, we can take the first turn again since all the zones have tasted it.”
