Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has urged political parties to partner with government to ensure accelerated development in the country.

Governor Uduaghan, who stated this in Asaba Wednesday night, when he hosted leaders of political parties in the state to a dinner party as part of the Democracy Day celebration, said that opposition parties should partners with government in identifying developmental needs of the people and meeting those needs.

“Political parties are the symbol of democracy, they are meant to draw the attention of government to what is needed by the masses, what needs to be done and what is involved. In Delta State, we encourage the political parties to partner with us to develop the state.

“The state belong to all of us regardless of party affiliation, let us treat the state as one body and ensure its development”, Governor Uduaghan noted.

While commending political parties in the state for their cooperation and unity, the governor appealed to those who believe in pulling down government in the name of being in opposition parties to have a rethink as they were only destroying the hard won democracy in the country.

“If the opposition embark on destroying government in the name of politics, they need to have a rethink as they are only destroying democracy, remember that there cannot be political parties without democracy.”

He also urged all Deltans to support the government’s policies, programmes and activities that affect the mass of the people directly.

“Those little things that we take for granted like water, health, education are the basic needs of the ordinary masses, we need to pay attention to these needs, to meet these basic social needs, so that they can take care of themselves and become less problem to the society.

“I want to call on all to treat everything that affects the poor with all their heart. If you are involved in free health, free maternal care, free education, free transport schemes, put in your best to ensure that they succeed”.

Governor Uduaghan however called for prayers for peace, unity and security in the country especially for the release of the abducted girls of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, observing that the president and his security team were tackling the present security challenges facing the country.

Earlier in his remarks, Pastor David Ashikodi, Chairman, Accord Party, Delta State and Representative of the political parties, called for responsible opposition that would partner government to develop the country, noting that the opposition parties should act in the interest of the masses and ensure that infrastructural projects that would benefit the masses were implemented.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-party Relations, Mr. Taju Sumonu Isichei, had explained that the dinner party was put together to felicitate with leaders of the political parties in the state as part of the Democracy Day celebration. He called on the parties to always play by the rules of the game.