2027: Ex-DSS Director, Horsfall Osai, Unveils Security, Development Agenda for Rivers Constituency

A retired Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Horsfall Osai, has unveiled an eight-point policy agenda centred on security, infrastructure, human capital development and accountable representation as he seeks election into the Federal House of Representatives in 2027.

Osai, who is seeking to represent the Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said his proposed legislative agenda would prioritise the security and developmental needs of the constituency.

Under his campaign platform, tagged “The People’s Mandate 2027”, with the slogan “The Man We Can Trust”, the former security official pledged to deploy his experience in intelligence and national security to address challenges confronting communities across the constituency.

In his manifesto, titled “A Manifesto for Purposeful Representation, Security and Sustainable Development”, Osai described his ambition as a commitment to bridging the gap between grassroots communities and the Federal Government.

He said his years of service in the DSS had equipped him with the institutional experience, professional relationships and understanding of national security challenges needed to attract federal interventions to the constituency.

On security, which features prominently in his proposals, Osai promised to lobby for the establishment of a permanent Nigerian Naval Base or Forward Operating Base around the Ogonokom and Anyu axis of Abua/Odual Local Government Area.

He said the proposed facility would help secure strategic waterways, particularly the Sombreiro and Orashi river corridors, against piracy and other criminal activities, while protecting fishermen, farmers, traders and other residents whose livelihoods depend on the waterways.

The PDP aspirant also pledged to promote stronger collaboration between security agencies, traditional rulers, community development committees and local vigilante structures through intelligence-sharing and early-warning mechanisms.

At the national level, Osai proposed a review of Nigeria’s existing security architecture, including the establishment of a Border and Coastal Guard Force to strengthen surveillance and protection of the country’s land and maritime boundaries.

He also proposed the creation of a National Guard Force to tackle kidnapping, banditry, cultism and other internal security threats.

In another security-related proposal, the former DSS director said he would advocate the deployment of security attachés from the DSS and Nigeria Police Force to Nigerian embassies and high commissions abroad to strengthen cooperation with host-country security agencies and assist in addressing security-related concerns involving Nigerian citizens.

On legislative representation, Osai pledged to sponsor bills and motions addressing the economic, environmental and developmental interests of oil-producing and agrarian communities.

He also promised to leverage relationships with federal ministries, agencies and development institutions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission, to attract infrastructure and other interventions to the constituency.

The manifesto further proposed a ward-by-ward needs assessment to guide the selection and execution of constituency projects.

According to him, projects such as boreholes, healthcare facilities, classroom renovations, rural electrification and access roads would be prioritised based on the actual needs of individual communities rather than political considerations.

On human capital development, Osai promised to facilitate vocational and digital skills acquisition programmes for young people, covering information and communication technology, renewable energy, modern agriculture, marine logistics and other technical trades.

He also pledged to support women-led businesses through cooperative grants, market infrastructure and equipment for agricultural and fishery processing.

In the education sector, the aspirant proposed annual bursary schemes and sponsorship opportunities for students sitting WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB examinations, alongside scholarships for indigent students pursuing higher education and specialised technical training.

Osai also promised equitable distribution of federal employment opportunities, empowerment programmes and constituency projects across the wards in Ahoada East and Abua/Odual.

On environmental concerns, he said he would advocate federal intervention to address recurring flooding, shoreline erosion and environmental degradation threatening farmlands and riverine settlements.

The manifesto also outlined transparency measures, including periodic publication of constituency project details, funds appropriated, contractors handling projects and their implementation status.

Osai pledged to establish community monitoring committees involving elders, women, youths and civil society representatives to monitor project execution and assess the quality of completed interventions.

He further promised to organise biannual constituency town hall meetings, alternating between Ahoada East and Abua/Odual, to present his legislative scorecard and receive feedback from constituents.

Describing public office as a responsibility that must be exercised in the interest of the people, Osai said his proposed representation would be guided by transparency, fairness and measurable results.

He called on constituents to support his aspiration in the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that his professional background and proposed policy direction would provide a foundation for improved security, effective representation and sustainable development across the federal constituency.