Oborevwori Paid over N200bn Delta Debt in 19 Months, Says Gov’s Aide

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads) and Supervising Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, yesterday said that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has  paid over N200 billion debts owed by the state since his assumption of office.

Speaking with newsmen in Asaba at his maiden meeting with the media since being directed by the governor to oversee the information ministry where he once held sway during the Okowa administration, Aniagwu said that the move had significantly reduced the state’s debt portfolio.

Also, Aniagwu stressed that the governor would not be distracted by the politics of 2027, but remained focused on delivering more projects across the state in line with his M.O.R.E development blueprint.

Aniagwu said: “His (governor’s) business at the moment is governance and he is not going to lose sight of it. Owing to side talks and because he believes that this is not the time to begin to play politics, what he is doing at the moment is to ensure that he keeps faith with all Deltans.

“He believes that every Deltan deserves the dividend of democracy and that is what he has concerned himself all about.”

On fiscal discipline and efficient resource allocation under Oborevwori’s watch, Aniagwu said: “Over N200 billion has been paid to liquidate the state’s debt stock while contractors are being mobilised with new jobs with outstanding job certificates paid as they fall due.

“As part of its efforts at diversifying the economy of the state, the administration has sealed a deal with UTM LNG for the harnessing of the huge reserves of natural gas in the state.”

The governor’s aide also said that Oborevwori had been building bridges, connecting communities and giving room for both business interaction and for people to also have some form of interaction with their kiths and kins in their neighbouring local government areas.

“I also recall that in one of our outings at the UPU celebration at Uvwiamuge-Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, the governor asked his kinsmen and Deltans to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“He was very clear when he noted that the support for Tinubu also is equal to support for him; that is not politicking, that is governance because the times we are in now are not for politics but governance.”

Flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Festus Ahon and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Public Enlightenment (Projects and Policies), Mr Olisa Ifeajika, the commissioner said that the governor was not interested in any political fight but was primed to responding to critics with the delivery of many more viable projects.

Reacting to the recent rumoured defection of the governor to the country’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the commissioner said: “We have seen a whole lot of publications in different places, including those that are insinuating that he is leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Oborevwori is a very proud member of the PDP. Today, Oborevwori is a clear leader amongst leaders of the party in Nigeria, and he is not in any way hungry to abandon the PDP. Having continued with the numerous projects he inherited, he is currently advancing the state with completion of ongoing roads, while also initiating more projects.”

He listed some of the inherited, ongoing and completed projects to include the Okpanam-Ibusa bypass; Beneku bridge; Asaba /Ughelli dual carriageway, particularly sector C1 and C2, Sector A and with repairs in Sector B as well as the 6-story High Court Complex in Asaba.

On new projects initiated under the current administration, Aniagwu said that the Warri and Effurun skyline would never be the same again as Julius Berger was handling the projects with three flyover bridges and road expansion works currently ongoing in the corridor.

“Other roads have been completed within Asaba and the capital territory, while in Delta South a lot of roads in Warri, Isoko North and Isoko South have also been completed, while new ones have also been initiated.

“In Sapele and Okpe, a lot of road projects are ongoing, while some have been completed like the Ohorhor-Adagbrasa-Ugolo-Okuodiete road, Ezesi Road dualisation in Orerokpe and other internal roads in Sapele.

“In Delta North, Eweshi-Utagba-Uno and Ndemili-Utagba-Uno Road in Ndokwa West, Akumazi-Umuocha and Owere-Olubor roads have been completed, while the Issele-Azagba-Otulu road is currently ongoing,” he stated.

In the education sector, among others, Aniagwu said the administration had established and operationalised a campus of the Southern Delta State University, at Orerokpe, as well as introduced a College of Health Sciences at the institution’s main campus in Ozoro.