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.”

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

I thank you God, for making me see another year; thanks for the gift of life; I am eternally grateful for all the blessings that you have given me that makes me appreciate a good life, for the struggles you casted on me which made me stronger and helped me realise the ideas of life's bitter sweet reality and most of all for the love which is supported by guidiance and protection which You unconditionally gives through my ever beloved family, friends and well-wishers.

Thank You for preserving my life to see this day and the wonders You've done in my life. thank You for having kept me alive, for having given me shelter, warmth, and nourishment. Thank You, Lord, for having given me friends and dear ones. I thank You God for giving me good health and the bounteous blessings You continue to shower on me. Who am I without You God! clay moulded statue breathe into! a mere sculptural work in Your hand!

I thank God for giving me another year to be productive and proactive, to share my life and be a blessing to other people. It's another year to dream, to live, to enjoy, to share, to celebrate, and to execute whatever left unaccomplished in my life. I pray that you always guide me be a better person every day in other to be more focused in life and be more dedicated into the struggle I am involved in, to continue to aspire for what I believe; to fight for the ideal that will live and not for an ideal that will die. May You be my guide as I continue to crave for a progressive OKPANAM, a prosperous DELTA, a truly united NIGERIA and AFRICA as a whole - which her children will be boastful of.

I'm getting older and getting wiser as well; I have learnt a lot from many people fortunate to come across. With much sincerity and happiness I would like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes from friends and family; far and near. My heartfelt gratitude goes to all who posted on my Facebook wall, sent me mails, pinged me, used my pictures as DP on BBM, created a Blackberry broadcast, called or text me and took out pages on the dailies. I would love to reply each message, especially on Facebook personally but many things have become a luxury when you are serving the beautiful people of Delta State and on a special day. However, my joy doubles when I receive your wishes. That's why I write this note instead. 

I pray that God in His infinite mercies will grant us all our heart desires, crown our efforts with resounding success and empower us all to leave this World better than we met it. Thank you all...and Happy Birthday to me!!!

Okowa Hails Quality Of Talents In Niger Delta Region

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah (left), Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on Niger Delta Affairs and BRACED Commission, Hon. Kelly Penawou (right), and Miss Oneyor Oritsemeyiwa Alero, who represented the state during the finals of the Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) competition organized by the NDDC held on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that he is marveled and astonished on the quality of talents that abound in the Niger Delta region.

Senator Okowa, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, at the grand finale of Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) competition held on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, stated that with what he saw, youths in the region have the capacities to compete favourably with their counterparts all over the world.

The Governor congratulated Miss Oneyor Oritsemeyiwa Alero, who represented the state during the finals of the competition, for her feat of using water turbine to generate light.

Senator Okowa urged other youths in the state to emulate the doggedness of Miss Oneyor so that together they will contribute their quota to the development of the state in particular and the country in general.

The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Niger Delta Affairs and BRACED Commission, Hon. Kelly Penawou, also attended the ceremony.

GEMS is a programme of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and have been running in the nine states of the Niger Delta region. It started with the screening of young girls in SS1 and SS2.

A selection of the best participated in region-wide state competitions. The best from the states competed at regional levels. The very best from the regions competed at the grand finals.

GEMS programme is a way of making science fun and as well as encouraging girls to take interest and make choices of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).