.
Dr. Adinkwu Backs Ogboru’s Vision for Productive Delta Economy Beyond Oil
By Victor Bieni, Asaba
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dr. Onyekachukwu Mabel Adinkwu, has called for a paradigm shift in Delta State’s economic model, arguing that the true wealth of the state lies not in its oil reserves, but in its capacity to produce value from what it possesses.
Royal Paradise Media (News Online) learnt this from Dr. Onyekachukwu Mabel Adinkwu in a telephone conversation with our reporter today being on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 as she drums support for the economic vision of Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, which she described as deeply resonant and focused on production, enterprise, and wealth creation.
Speaking further to our reporter, Dr Adinkwu stated that, Delta State is abundantly blessed with oil and gas, fertile agricultural land, hardworking farmers and fishermen, navigable waterways, and a large pool of human capital.
In her words: ” Deltans are industrious people whose potential remains largely untapped. I must sincerely ask: Why crude oil continues to leave communities in Delta while the jobs and industries that should accompany it are created elsewhere? Such model deprives the state of the full benefits of its natural resources”.
“Also, lack of strong value chains to support farmers, despite their hard-work and contributions to food security. Our concern should be about the under-utilisation of the state’s waterways, which could drive commerce and connect communities”.
“As ADC chieftain, I acknowledged that federal allocations will continue to play an important role in governance, but Delta must deliberately build an economy that does not depend on allocations as its primary means of functioning”.
The goal of governance should be to use available resources strategically to create an enabling environment for people to produce more, for businesses to grow, and for industries to emerge across the state”.
“When resources are converted into productive enterprises, they create industries; industries create jobs; jobs create income; and income strengthens families and communities, thereby reducing poverty”.
“I hereby urge Deltans to rise above political labels and propaganda and to focus on a more important conversation about the future of the state, particularly what it could become if its resources are harnessed for production and wealth creation”.
“Finally, the vision of a productive, self-reliant Delta is what I stand for. It represents a new narrative of governance that prioritizes production over dependence”.