… Highlights Okowa’s Key Achievements Amid Recession, COVID-19 Pandemic

The Delta State Government has reacted to publication on the social media querying the performance of the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration, particularly on area of poverty alleviation and prosperity of residents of the state.

According to the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Nelson Egware, the publication was a mere “rabble-rouser aimed at misinforming the general public on the true position of things in Delta”, highlighting the governor’s key achievements amid recession in his first tenure and the COVID-19 pandemic in his second term.

Mr. Egware noted that the projects delivered by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government without doubts caught the attention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo commending Governor Okowa for his development initiatives, especially the road projects executed in the riverine communities.

He also listed the projects and positive impacts of the Okowa led administration executed through the SMART Delta Agenda, the Delta State Girl Child Empowerment Office, which was created with a charge to ramp up Entrepreneurship Training for the girl child in Delta, among others.

His full reaction reads:

We have read with dismay the mendacious propaganda by one Christian Moses Abeh, the self-styled Coordinator, Deltans Lives Matter and his Deputy Coordinator, Gabriel Mamuzo, published on social media platforms.

The wishy-washy publication is targeted at impugning the goodwill and altruism that has characterised the Okowa led administration in Delta State. The said article titled “GOV. IFEANYI OKOWA: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, WHERE IS THE PROSPERITY FOR ALL DELTANS?” is nothing but a rabble-rouser aimed at misinforming the general public on the true position of things in Delta.

It is imperative to state that since he took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has continued to develop the entire state with equanimity.

He has remained unruffled and undaunted despite the economic challenges of recession he faced in his first term and the global COVID-19 pandemic in this current term.

It is on record that he has constructed and rehabilitated several strategic roads and drainages including the multi-billion storm water drainage projects that has significantly resolved the age-long flooding within Asaba and environs and is currently working on other storm drainage projects to solve the perennial flooding in Warri and Uvwie areas of the state.

Governor Okowa is one leader who believes that the goose that lays the golden egg should be protected in the interest of all and as such he has ensured adequate peace and security in oil producing communities by executing live changing projects especially in the riverine areas of the state.

Okowa’s audacious efforts in the riverine communities can be seen with a visit to Burutu Town, the 20.09 kilometres of road which transverses Obotobo I and II; Sokebolu and Yokri Communities, all in the oil-rich Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area. What about the internal roads at Okerenkoko, Koko, as well as the ongoing construction of Ayakoromo Bridge?

These projects no doubt caught the attention of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who commended Governor Okowa for his development initiatives, especially the road projects executed in the riverine communities.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the Governor has equally ensured that the human beings who will make use of the roads were empowered through various job and wealth creation programmes. He set up the Job Creation Office in his first term and several thousands of youths were trained and empowered to become entrepreneurs.

Again this initiative has attracted applause from several quarters and in a bid to scale up the empowerment of Deltans, the Delta State Girl Child Empowerment Office was created with a charge to ramp up Entrepreneurship Training for the girl child in Delta. It is important to state that such an office couldn’t have operated effectively without a budgetary provision.

On salary cut for civil servants and political appointees, this has been explained severally at different occasions. The entire world is suffering from a global pandemic caused by COVID-19. And as an economy that is largely dependent on oil revenues, Nigeria is among the nations worst hit by the glut in the world oil market.

The decision to temporarily reduce worker’s salaries and emoluments of political appointees was borne out of the governments feeling for the general populace.

As a state of over 5 million Deltans, the state government cannot afford to use all the monies at her disposal to pay salaries alone. It is also on record that the population of workers and political appointees in the state represents less than 2 per cent of the entire population of the state.

The state government in their wisdom therefore, felt that despite the pandemic, projects which affects the lives of all Deltans should continue and in order to be able to fund such projects, workers and political appointees had to make some sacrifices for the good of all. As can be noticed by every reasonable Deltan, all our contractors are currently on site despite the excruciating economic effects of the pandemic.

On the allegation that Okowa constructed roads in Igbanke, it is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell. That Okowa on the invitation of his Edo counterpart inaugurated the Okuta road in Ebelle community, Igueben Local Government Area shortly after a PDP campaign rally in Ekpon should not be misconstrued to mean that Okowa constructed a road in Edo.

As Chairman of South-South Governors Forum, Governor Okowa is duty bound to campaign for his party member especially in a community where he shares a special affinity. It is on record that Governor Okowa more than three decades ago established the first private hospital at Ekpon in present day Edo State.

So it is only normal that he joins his colleague to speak to the people he has known over the years to support the Peoples Democratic Party.

With all these analysis, we therefore urge Deltans and the general public to ignore the said verbal brigandage as it is self-seeking, misleading and full of lies.

We advise the jobless writers to read up and visit the impactful projects and programmes which the Okowa administration has delivered through the SMART Agenda and support the Governor’s efforts at building a Stronger Delta.