Commitment to Excellence My Administration’s Watchword, Says Oborevwori

  Gov Obaseki delivers keynote address at Delta EXCO retreat

 Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to excellence that would ensure endurable legacies in governance and people cum result-oriented policies, programmes and projects that would impact the entire state.

Oborevwori stated this at the 2023 Delta State Executive Council Retreat held at Maryam Babangida Leisure Park, Asaba, yesterday.

According to the governor, the retreat, with theme, ‘Delivering the M.O.R.E Agenda for Advancing Delta: Strategies Enablers’, was advised by the need to ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government align their programmes and activities with the administration’s policy focus.

The “strategic imperatives of the M.O.R.E agenda have been distilled into deliverables” such that they could be measured, tracked, and reported.

The governor said, “These key performance indicators will enable us to measure our progress as an administration based on established timelines and benchmarks for success.

“This will in turn, enable efficiency of government, enhance performance, hold the MDAs accountable, and promote judicious utilisation of resources.

“It is my earnest expectation that this forum will provide the pathway for us to deliver on the promises of the M.O.R.E Agenda through fiscal responsibility, synergy among the MDAs, robust community engagement, effective public communication, creative execution of programmes, and excellent service delivery.”

He identified a key component of his administration’s policy thrust as ensuring a credible feedback mechanism, saying, “For us to achieve our stated goals, MDAs must constantly monitor the progress of projects under their jurisdiction and formulate a mechanism for feedback and evaluation.

“As evidenced from the projects that we have so far completed and embarked upon, this administration is process driven, result-oriented, and excellence-inclined.

“Indeed, we are poised to advance the state into an era that will accelerate the realisation of its full potentials through the MORE agenda.

“Towards this end, the commissioners are expected to sign a Performance Bond at the end of this retreat. This is not meant to scare anybody. It is to serve as a motivation to stay focused on the deliverables that have been established.

“As I stated in my inauguration speech, the MORE agenda is designed to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth and private sector job creation, strengthen the human capital, build an enabling infrastructure, bolster public financial management, and improve governance and accountability systems for improved service delivery.

“The issues before us are simple – they are about improving the quality of life of our people, about building bridges of social cohesion, about giving our people hope of a better tomorrow, and about accelerated development.

“To effectively achieve this target, it demands thought and action from me and all those who have the privilege to serve as elected officials, political appointees, or civil servants.”

Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, in his keynote speech on ‘Innovative approach to building a state that works for the citizens (opportunities, challenges and prospects for advancing the Delta State economy)’, said the pandemic of three years ago had driven global inflation to an all time high.

He said since the era of COVID-19 there has been a significant increase in use of technology and Artificial Intelligence in doing things, stressing that the effect on developing countries like Nigeria was frightening and warned that sub-national and local governments must work assiduously to deliver for the people.

Governor Obaseki said that plans where underway to buy back the state’s shares in the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC),  stressing that talks were ongoing between Delta, Edo, Ekiti, and Ondo states to repurchase the shares.

Welcoming participants earlier, Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, thanked the governor for organising the retreat, saying it would give participants insight into the philosophy and clear vision of the Agenda.

The deputy governor said there was a new Sheriff in town whose agenda was geared towards reshaping the tools of governance for greater efficiency as encapsulated his more agenda and urged participants to do things differently.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu who gave a detailed breakdown of the More Agenda, gave an overview of the thematic areas of the More Agenda and specific areas to cover.