OKOWA SET TO COMMISSION PROJECTS TO MARK ONE YEAR IN OFFICE

 Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi  Okowa; Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah and the Secretary to Government, Barr, Ovie Agas during the Governor’s First Year Performance  Report to the Press in Asaba.

Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is set to commission series of projects executed by his administration within one year in office.

Governor Okowa flanked by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Tam Brisibe; Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Kingsley Esiso; Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Festus Ovie-Agas; Chairman of the Delta State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Norbert Chiazor and the South/South zonal chairman of the Union, Comrade Edward Ogude dropped the hint in a crowded press conference held at the Press Centre, Government House, Asaba yesterday (23/05/16) to signal the commencement of the celebration of his one year in office.

He disclosed that within one year, his administration awarded contracts for the construction cum rehabilitation of fifty four roads through the State Tenders Board and the Ministerial Tenders Board, noting that some of the projects earmarked for commissioning cum inspection as part of the Democracy Day celebration includes, Ejinyere/Orodje Street in Orerokpe, Okpe Local Government Area; Jeddo Ughoton Road and Access Road to Eagles Height University (Phase 1 Jeddo/Omadino Bridge), Okpe local Government Area; Oteri Township Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area; Okere-Urhobo Community Roads in Warri South Local Government Area (Olomu link Road, 1st and 2nd  Olomu Streets, Otor-Okere and Agba Roads); Kefas Road with a spur to Uzere junction, Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area; Uduophori road (Phase 1), Patani Local Government Area; Orikeze Street with a spur to Orikeze close, Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area; Usonia Road, off Nnebisi Road, Asaba; Faculty of Law Complex, Delta State University, Oleh Campus, Isoko South Local Government Area; Pedriatic Wards/Water Scheme in Patani General Hospital; and Azu-Owa Abavo Cottage Hospital, Abavo, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

“Meanwhile, work on Cable Point Road dualization, Asaba; Okpanam Road Dualization, Asaba; Warri-Sapele Road Dualization in Sapele from Amukpe Roundabout; the construction of Amekpa-Afiesere-Ufuoma Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area; Lagos-Asaba Road dualization in Agbor; constructions of Oza-nogogo-Alisimie Road in Ika South Local Government Area, and Okerenkoko Beach Road in Warri South West Local Government Area, are progressing steadily and should be ready for commissioning a few months from now,” the Governor said, emphasising, “it goes without saying that there is need for continual investment in infrastructure renewal and new constructions that will engender economic growth, lead to social improvements, and give all communities equal opportunity to benefit from the economy.”

While calling for collaboration between government and the private sector, Governor Okowa stated, “it is gratifying to note that local and international investors are taking a keen interest in our State and the figure given for the constructed and rehabilitated roads does not include projects executed by the Direct Labour Agency (DLA).”

The Governor also, stated that within the past one year, “it is my pleasure to announce that as at April 30, 2016, a total of 17,173 (seventeen thousand, one hundred and seventy three) private sector jobs were created by this administration; this figure consists of 6,800 (six thousand, eight hundred) direct jobs and 10,373 (ten thousand, three hundred and seventy three) indirect jobs of both skilled and unskilled workers.”

“As a Special Purpose Vehicle, the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer accounted for 7,522 (seven thousand, five hundred and twenty two) of these jobs while the remaining 9,651 (nine thousand, six hundred and fifty one) were created through projects, programmes and initiatives implemented through the various MDAs,” the Governor said, adding, “at the very core of our S.M.A.R.T agenda is job and wealth creation, because we realize that the only way to achieve sustainable economic growth is to create new jobs, diversify the economy through the development of non-oil sectors, and provide the enabling environment for enterprises and industries to thrive.”

Senator Okowa who took oath of office on May 29th, 2015 as the Governor of Delta State, reiterated, “in August 2015, we launched the Job and Wealth Creation Scheme with the following programmes viz; Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP), Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP), and Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP) which were focused on equipping participants with life skills, developing their leadership qualities, increasing their personal effectiveness, harnessing their productive potentials, and enabling them to become entrepreneurs, managers and leaders.”

ONE YEAR IN OFFICE: OKOWA BRIEFS THE PRESS

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah and the Secretary to Government, Barr, Ovie Agas during the Governor’s First Year Performance Report to the Press in Asaba.

Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has attributed the successes recorded by his administration in the delivery of democratic dividends despite the economic down-turn in the country to prudent management of resources.

The Governor in a crowded press conference to kick-start activities to celebrate his one year of being in office yesterday in Asaba, said, “when I addressed the State immediately after my swearing-in as Governor on May 29, 2015, we were in the middle of a serious economic crisis, our monthly revenue both from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue had dipped significantly; the non-oil sector of the economy remained largely untapped; the level of youth unemployment was troubling, posing a clear and present danger to the socio-political stability of the State; our credit was in bad shape, and the financial system was at best, shaky and at worst, perilous; indeed, our promise of prosperity for all Deltans seemed illusory, but, we moved swiftly and decisively to restructure our liabilities and instituted processes and procedures to plug leakages, eliminate wastes and ensure fiscal discipline.”

“The fiscal consolidation measures we put in place have enabled us to achieve a great deal of macro-economic stability while creating the right conditions for us to implement programmes under the S.M.A.R.T agenda,” Senator Okowa disclosed, asserting, “had we not taken the steps we took, our financial system would have been on the verge of collapse by now; the global price of oil has continued to tumble, the naira has substantially weakened against the dollar, and recent security challenges in the Niger Delta region have combined to compound our national economic woes.”

He stated that to diversify the economy of the state, his administration invested heavily in agriculture by “stimulating and increasing the yield of our small-holder farmers through the Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP), as the PPSP is aimed at up scaling the use of modern farm inputs and technologies of small-holder farmers to increase the yield of crop, livestock and fishery enterprises; towards this end, we distributed tractors to 64 Cooperative Societies and another set of 106 Cooperative Societies got Melon Shellers while 18 other Cooperative Societies received Outboard Engines and Fishing Gears support packages.”

“We also distributed improved variety of cassava cuttings, fertilizer, and cash to 475 cassava farmers; 100 fishery farmers were given fingerlings, feeds and cash; 100 poultry farmers were supported with 200-day-old chicks each, feeds and cash; 50 poultry layer farmers got 200 layers each, feeds and cash; 50 piggery farmers received 10 growers, feeds and cash; while 40 tomatoes farmers were supported with seedlings, agrochemicals and cash,” Governor Okowa said, adding that in the area of education, his administration was working to ensure a paradigm shift from certificate acquisition of vocational and technical skills by the teeming youth population.

He stated, “upon assumption of office, I sent the Delta State Vocational and Technical Education Board Bill to the State House of Assembly; the Bill, meant to provide the regulatory framework to administer and promote technical education in the State, was passed and signed into law in June 2015 and since then, we have reconstructed/rehabilitated and equipped three technical colleges in Ofagbe, Sapele and Agbor. “

While stating that the process to ensure curriculum review and enrichment to make the technical colleges more relevant to the dynamics of the 21st century marketplace, Governor Okowa confidently informed the Journalists that the inauguration of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission by his administration which made the state the first “in the country to have a mandatory health insurance scheme for the purpose of universal healthcare coverage would ensure that “people are able to access and get treatment at our hospitals/clinics without suffering financial hardship at the point of service, or denied service outright due to lack of funds because, when the insurance scheme is fully operational, it will lead to a more robust healthcare system, improved quality and more affordable healthcare delivery as well as significantly better health outcomes.”

DELTA STATE ONE YEAR SCORE CARD

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR DR IFEANYI OKOWA, GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE, TO MARK THE FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ADMINISTRATION ON MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016, AT THE PRESS CENTRE, OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE, ASABA.


Gentlemen of the Press

When I addressed the State immediately after my swearing-in as Governor on May 29, 2015, we were in the middle of a serious economic crisis. Our monthly revenue both from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue had dipped significantly. The non-oil sector of the

DELTA GOVERNMENT TO BUILD MONORAIL IN STATE CAPITAL

Hon. Commissioner for Information: Patrick Ukah

ASABA—Delta State Government has engaged a consultant to carry out a feasibility study on Monorail Transit System in Asaba, the state capital, as it restated its resolve to sell the Independent Power Plant, IPP, project in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state. It also approved the appointment of HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli as the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Nwaolise Okwuka I as the Obi of Issele-Mkpetime in Aniocha North Local Government Area and HRM Agbaovwe Afugbeya Oyise II, as the Odion R’Ode of Uwheru Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area. Briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting chaired by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Kingsley Utuaro, yesterday, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, said that the state government plans to undertake a study on the

OKOWA SUPPORTS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S OIL SECTOR REFORMS

 Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Refineries, Mr Anibor Kragha

DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has thrown his weight behind the reforms being carried out by the Federal Government in the oil sector.

The governor who received the management of Warri Refinery and Petro-Chemical Company (WRPC) led by the company’s Chief Operating Officer (Refineries), Mr. Anibor Kragha, in Asaba, observed that though, the reforms would cause immediate pains for Nigerians, the long-term benefits cannot be quantified.

According to him, “if the

GOV OKOWA MEETS WITH WORLD BANK GROUP

Delta State Governor, Sen Ifeanyi Okowa today received World Bank Group Led By Amos Abu the Senior Environmental Specialist at Delta State Government House, Asaba.

  Secretary to the State Government Hon Festus Agas ,  The Commissioner For Environment Hon John Nani, Commissioner for Finance  Hon David, Head of Service Sir Patrick  Ohigho  was also present  at the meeting.

GOVT. WILL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH FRSC - UKAH

Presenting a gift to the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Rindom Kumven

Mr. Patrick Ukah has assured the Federal Road Safety Commission of the support of the State government towards the actualization of road safety ethics on our roads.

He gave this assurance while hosting a delegation led by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Rindom Kumven, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Mr. Ukah reiterated the State Government’s commitment to the safety of lives on our roads, which informed the establishment of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA), specifically to compliment the efforts of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), especially within the town, so as to