INTRODUCTION
In the words of former Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, “We make a life by what we give”.
Perhaps, it is gratifying to say that seven years down the line, Sen Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has distinguished himself, as an uncommon leader and astute administrator.
He minced no words on his programme to transform the lives of Deltans, when in his inaugural speech on May 29th, 2015, he unfolded the strategy of his government, the SMART Agenda, under which aegis he would provide jobs, Peace-Building platforms aimed at Political/Social stability, Agricultural reforms, accelerated Industrialization, relevant health and Education within the State. Determined to make an impact on the lives of Deltans and acknowledge the fact that effective human capital development/education is the bedrock of the socio-economic development of the State, the Okowa led administration had also embarked on other strategies aimed at attaining specific goals, which include the following:
(a) Skill and Wealth Creation,
(b) Education programmes,
(c) Direct Job Creation, and
(d) Provision of infrastructure.
(A)Direct job creation
At inception of office on May 29th, 2015, the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer, headed by Prof. Eric Eboh was created and saddled it with the sole responsibility of addressing unemployment that had become a sore challenge to the society.
Under this aegis, two modules clearly stood out- the skill training entrepreneurial programme (STEP) and the youth agricultural entrepreneurial programme (YAGEP). Both programmes were meant to impart skills and knowledge in various areas of human development.
While YAGEP was meant to impact practical knowledge in the agricultural sector (poultry, piggery, fishery, crop farming, etc), STEP trains youths in such fields as tailoring, fashion and design; cosmetology; tiling; computer maintenance and repairs; catering and confectionery; electrical installations, etc.
Both modules (YAGEP and STEP) have today trained and empowered no less than 10,000 direct beneficiaries who are presently self-employed youths and proud employers of labour.
Prior to his assumption of office, various infrastructures such as roads, were in highly deplorable conditions. The Ozoro- Ughelli roads and most internal link roads in various parts of the Local Government Areas across the State were completely impassable with dire consequences manifesting in very slow economic activities despite being the foremost oil producing State.
What more?. His administration has also invested massively on Infrastructural development in terms of roads and bridges.
This publication is an account of the uncommon strides of the Okowa led administration over the past seven years and is rendered in fulfillment of his earlier pledge to deliver the dividends of democracy to all Deltans.
Roads development is critical to stimulating the growth of commence and industrial development of any state or nation.
Prior to his assumption of office, the state had experienced 2 decades of daunting challenges and very slow development in certain critical sector of the state despite being a fore most oil producing state.
Various roads, especially the Ozoro – Ughelli roads, Agbor Warri roads, Idumuje-Ugboko, Idumuje-Ugboko and most internal link roads in various parts of the state were completely impassable with dire consequences manifesting as deplorable economic fortunes and warped social interaction among the people of the state.
With a sound fiscal policy thrust, the Okowa led administration consistently exhibited discipline in budgetary allocation with over 90% of the annual budgetary provision channeled to capital expenditure. If his SMART Agenda policy for the state must be realized, his commitment to infrastructural development cannot be a misplaced priority.
By May 2015 and March 2018, the state could boast of193 roads spanning over 732 kilometers and 229 kilometers of concrete –lined drains at a cost of over N122billion, all well constructed, paved and asphalted.
The value of projects currently being handled by the ministry, including those inherited from the previous administration, is put at over N215billion and involves 208 roads with a total length of 866 kilometers. Of this figure, 92 roads, covering over 350 kilometers, have been completed, while more than 116 roads are at various stages of completion.
DEVELOPMENT OF BRIDGES:
The state ministry of works has completed six (6) brides as part of its effort to improve the road network in the various communities that were hitherto inaccessible. 15 bridges are at various stages of completion.
ON GOING BRIDGE PROJECTS:
– Bridge over forcadors river at Ayakoromo
– Trans-Warri project bridges (5 Nos)
– Twin bridges over Obo river at Ogwashi-Uku, Eziokpor bridge
– Orere bridge, Isheagu bridge
– Obiaruku bridge, Beneku bridges (2)
– Flyover at Ibusa junction (Koka) on Asaba/Benin expressway Asaba
Completed bridge projects (6Nos)
– Bridge over raid crossing at Agbor Ovwor/Effurun –Otor bridge
– 2 No pedestrian bridges in Asaba
– Agbarho/Omerhe bridge
– Oha/Orerokpe bridge
Consequently, a total of 503 civil engineering projects, dualization of 139,97 kilometers of roads, including bridges, highways drainage structures, and road rehabilitations, were executed by his administration.
>REHABILITATION AND ASPHALT OVERLAY OF NSUKWA/EJEME-ANIOGOR/AGBOR ALIDINMA/OWA ALIDINMA ROAD:
A 24-kilometer-long road, is a major link between Ughelli/Asaba highway and the Uromi/Agbor/Eku/Amukpe road, and spans Aniocha South, Ndokwa West, Ika South and Ika North-East local government areas.
>OKUREKPO/OKUNOH-OKPARA/OKORUAH/ONUMANE/SAMAGIDI ROAD:
Spans 7.418 kilometers
>MIDDLE SECTION OF ALISIMIE/OZANOGOGO ROAD:
Already completed, this road project spans 5.88 kilometers and transverses five agrarian communities in Ika South Local Government Area of the state.
>UGHELLI/AFIESERE /OFUOMA ROAD:
The road has been completed and commissioned.
>UMUNEDE/OTOLOKPO/UTE-OKPU/EKUKU-AGBOR/NDEMILI/OBETI/UMUTU ROAD:
Spans across four local government areas at a total of 43.4kilometres, this road project is the single longest ever awarded by the Okowa administration.
>CONSTRUCTION OF OVIRI-OLOMU/EGODOR ROAD:
Measures 8.56km and cuts across Ughelli South and Burutu local government areas of the state.
>OTU/JEREMI/OKWAGBE ROAD:
This project involves the rehabilitation and re-sealing of the road, which spans 25.60 kilometers with two loops through Owhwha and Oginibo.
>UDUOPHORI/TORU-ANGIAMA/TORU-APELEBIRI/PATANI( PHASE 11):
This road spans 4.85 kilometers and has since been completed and commissioned.
URBAN ROADS:
The major urban roads undertaken by the administration in urban centers include:
>DUALISATION OF SAPELE ROAD FROM AMUKPE ROUNDABOUT BYSAPELE/WARRI EXPRESSWAY TO A.T. &P, ROUNDABOUT, SAPELE:
The total length of this project is 7.5kilometers. The entire road has now been dualised by the construction of a concrete median. The Amukpe to Okirighwre segment Junction to A . T & P Roundabout have been expanded from 12.4m and 15m to 18m, respectively.
Walkways have also been constructed over the entire length of road, while concrete drains and discharge channels have also been provided.
>JOSEPH EBOLO AND MADONNA SCHOOL ROAD, OKPANAM:
A total length of 4.844km road project is completed and commissioned.”
>KWALE TOWNSHIP ROADS:
These are the roads that come under the package handled by the Okowa administration in Kwale, administrative seat of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state. “The roads include Ist Iyiatu, Nzebo, Onyeloni, Atokku/Odagwe, Ossai and Isumpe streets, with a total length of 3.233 kilometers.
>ABRAKA TOWNSHIP ROADS:
1.51km length of road projects handled in Abraka, seat of the Delta State University (DELSU), the state –owned university, are Winners Road and Jehova/Umomnu Crescent. This project has been completed and commissioned.
>UGBOMRO ROAD
This 2.6 kilometer length road is a vital link between the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, (FUPPRE), Effurun/Ughelli dual carriageway, the East/West road and Delta Steel Complex (DSC) Expressway and has since been completed.
>MAXIAL ROAD, OKERENKOKO:
This 1.5km length of rigid concrete pavement road with a 20m long single span bridge, integrates various parts of the riverine community.”
>OKPARE/UMOLU/OVWODOKPOKPOR/
KIAGBODI ROAD:
This road has a span, in terms of length, of 10.8km and it transverses three local government areas of the state. It has been completed and commissioned.
>OVWIAN ROAD, OFF UDU ROAD:
This project involved the reconstruction of the 3.1km of the road in question.
>ACCESS ROAD TO AWARITSE INDUSTRIAL PARK:
Measuring 1.80kilometres in length and provides access to the Awaritse Industrial park, which is home to many marine and oil gas companies. It has since been commissioned.
>OBITOBON/ELOLO/AJAKOROGBO/
ORURU ROAD, OGIDIGBEN:
This road measures 2.19km in length.
EDUCATION
With their ravishing new look, public schools, in Delta State are now over subscribed as the Okowa led administration has restored confidence through its total transformation programme for the educational sector.
The main mission is to ensure that Deltans of school age are catered for in line with the National policy on education (NPE), United Nations Children Fund (UNCEF), Millennium Development Goals(MDGS) and Universal Education(UBE) requirements.
On its creation, the two ministries of education for basic/secondary and tertiary education were saddled with the responsibility of running the affairs of the state and its people with regard to the vital sector of education.
Aside the two ministries, other agencies and structures exist in the state for running the educational sector. These include the Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education, the Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board and the Technical and Vocational Education Board.
Apart from the primary task of raising crop of pupils and students into the state labour force for the task of societal development, the Okowa led administration has also embarked on other developmental initiatives aimed at attaining specific goals, which include the following:
1 )Bursary Awards: More than 25,000 persons have benefitted, through the instrumentality of the Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board.
(11)Technical And Vocational Education: The state now has six potent technical colleges in Agbor, Sapele, Okwagbe, Otor-Ogor, Kwale and Issele-Uku, all of which are now reeling out competitive hands in sundry fields. Determined to have an impact on the lives of the people and knowledging the fact that education is the bedrock of the socio-economic development of the state, the Okowa led administration summoned an educational summit in January 2016 with the aim to transform the educational sector in the State.
The resolution of that summit as approved by exco include amongst others:
>The establishment of the teachers professional development center (TPDC)
#The revision/enrichment of the school curricular and the production of the schemes of work based on the new national curriculum for basic and post basic levels.
>The involvement councils in the security of schools in their localities.
>The provision of sporting facilities and equipment in schools and the reintroduction of sports competition among schools in the state.
>The facility is also housing the faculty of law University of Delta, Agbor.
HOUSING
The Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat, is a sprawling edifice with a dimension of 65,000 square meters space, designed in five (5) clusters to house 27 ministries, departments and agencies of government, as well as bank, clinic and creche.
The whole idea is that commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors and other civil servants would work under one giant roof to deliver government business in seamless liaison.
The optimism of this great project as a one – stop accommodation, will improve efficiency in service delivery, enhance functionality, and boost the economic profile of the state by cutting off wastage of huge funds often spent on rent by so many government establishment in the state.
HEALTH
The Okowa’s administration has infused new life into the health sector. In this regard, achievements have been made in both curative and preventive arm of the sector.
Major strides in the health sector include the followings:
– Improvement of the quality of
infrastructure in Primary and Secondary
Health facilities.
– 65 Hospitals newly renovated/upgraded
– 209 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCS)
Renovated/upgraded
– Ongoing construction/ renovation of three
Mother and Child Centers
– Ongoing Renovation/Remodeling o
Clinical Building at Delta State University
Hospital (DELSUTH) Oghara, Delta State.
– 38 emergency bus ambulances and 6
emergency boat ambulances procured.
7 fully accredited health training
