The executive governor of Delta State, his excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, commissioned a Press Center at Government House in Asaba.
He also proved to be false that his administration had borrowed over N850 billion since he assumed office, saying that it is a lie from the pit of hell.
Okowa said this after the commissioning of the Press Center, on Monday while expressing joy over the successful completion of the project, saying with the project, there is a befitting place for journalists to be addressed. He gave thanks to God for the building to have been completed.
The governor who spoke about the loan he collected, said his administration only inquired about bridging finance of N150 billion from a consortium of banks from the N217 billion owned by the Federal Government to the state.
He said the amount was later reduced to N100 billion, with necessary options to the House of Assembly, adding that the government only got N91 billion which had successfully been used on projects.
According to him, out of the N91 billion, N10 billion was spent on state and local governments pensions, while the other balance was used on projects that were listed in the application to the House of Assembly, including the Koka Flyover and interchange, Mariam Babangida Leisure Park, the Film Village, and the Ughelli-Asaba Dualisation.
He said that the projects had been completed and inaugurated while two were ongoing, and advised critics of his administration and those seeking the number one position in the state to speak the truth to people.
Okowa also said that remarkable progress was made by his administration in healthcare delivery, education, infrastructural, and human capital development emphasizing that no fewer than 2,000 kilometers of roads and 1,000 kilometers of drains had been constructed by his administration.
He said the creeks and other riverside communities in Ijaw and Itsekiri lands had a fair share of road and bridge projects despite the cost, adding that the Ayakromo Bridge project was ongoing, with a new contractor in charge following its repudiation as a result of poor performance by the former contractor.
“The rumor that we have borrowed N850 billion was a lie from the pit of hell. It is unfair for anybody trying to be the governor of the state to deceive the people.
“We have structured our finances with superior thinking. When we borrowed money, we borrowed reasonably to finance our projects.
“We have constructed over 2,000 kilometers of roads in the state. We have constructed a lot of bridges and we are still constructing more.
“We are still working on the bridge on the Beneku River, the Orherhe Bridge project, and others. We have revoked the Ayakromo Bridge project and re-awarded it to a more competent contractor,” the governor said.
Again he noted that his administration had enjoyed peace and all-around development due to the input of members of the House of Assembly, union leaders, stakeholders, civil servants, politicians, traditional rulers, and the organized private sector while urging them to sustain the tempo of such support.
On the assumption that the Warri axis was abandoned in terms of road projects, the governor said the flooding challenges in the oil city and its environs took months before solutions were proffered through a study which, he said, gave birth to the stormwater drainage project in the area.
While affirming that the stormwater drainage project had gone far, he said tarring any road in Warri without proper drainage and discharge point would have amounted to a waste of resources, adding that with the stormwater project on course, the Warri township stadium and major roads construction will be achieved.
“We have done over 1,000 kilometers of drains across the state as well as underground drains. The same thing we did in Asaba, we started in Warri. A lot has been done and l know that at the end of the day, Warri will be better for it.
“Having realized that the storm drainage project in Warri was nearing completion, we awarded the contract for the total rehabilitation of the Warri township stadium last year,” Okowa added.
He said the huge pensions arrears owed retirees from the state civil service which was inherited by his administration on assumption of office in 2015 has been reduced significantly.
The governor said that genuine arrears owed workers in the state would be paid, and advised appropriate agencies of government to ensure that promotion was done as at when due to avoid the accumulation of arrears.
He said that the concession of Asaba Airport and Delta Line Transport Company to private investors had yielded positive results, stressing that the economic drain the two agencies hitherto constituted to the state had become an asset.
“Today, we have four universities running in Delta State. Some persons may have something to say about it, but l have no regret floating the universities by upgrading some of the existing institutions in the state.
“The important thing is that we have brought university education closer to the people. It is important to make it clear that we do not charge tuition fees in Delta, what the students pay is running cost.
“In the primary and secondary schools, we have continued to do the best we can. Technical Education is key to our entrepreneurial development. We are laying a strong foundation for entrepreneurial development in the state.
“Civil service cannot provide all the jobs. That is why we are building capacity in entrepreneurial development through the various skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development programs of the state government.
“The contributory health scheme of the state government is working very well as it has the highest number of enrollees in the country,” he said, adding that the state secretariat was one of the best secretariats in the country,” he stated.
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, in his remarks, thanked the Governor for his media-friendly policies and programs and assured him of a robust relationship in promoting the policies and programs of his administration.
