By Eki David Greg, MKO
Under the glittering chandeliers of Eko Hotels and Suites on Saturday night, Delta State’s compass turned to celebration as His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Elder Dr. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, JP, bagged a breathtaking brace at the Independent Newspapers 2025 Awards. Themed _“Game Changers: Breaking Barriers, Shaping Tomorrow,”_ the ceremony crowned the Executive Governor of Delta State with two weighty laurels: _Outstanding Independent Governor_ and _Best Independent Governor in Urban Renewal of the Year 2025_. Like a skilled striker netting a stoppage-time double, Oborevwori proved that purposeful leadership still plays in the big league.
Reacting with pride and palpable passion, the Asiwaju of Delta State, Hon. Henry Baro, described the twin triumph as “the dividend of doing the work when nobody is watching.” In a statement dripping with admiration, Baro hailed Oborevwori as a “silent bulldozer and a visible bridge-builder” whose M.O.R.E. Agenda has migrated from paper promises to palpable progress. “From Warri to Asaba, the man is not just moving dirt — he’s moving destinies,” Baro declared. “When you turn a state into a construction site and a compassion hub simultaneously, awards don’t just come; they chase you.” For Baro, the Governor’s urban renewal footprints — flyovers that fly, roads that restore commerce, and drainages that defeat despair — are proof that Oborevwori governs with his ear to the ground and his eye on tomorrow.
The Asiwaju noted that the double honour is a national nod to a local labour of love. Oborevwori’s blueprint, he said, has swapped stagnation for speed: modern markets replacing mayhem, streetlights shaming insecurity, and youth empowerment schemes converting “God when” to “God did.” “This is governance wey dey enter body,” Baro quipped, borrowing a modern idiom that rings from the creeks to the capital. “He didn’t just break barriers; he built boulevards through them. He’s not shaping tomorrow with speeches — he’s sketching it with cement, compassion, and courage.”
Baro stressed that the garlands belong to every Deltan whose daily grind has been lightened by Oborevwori’s touch. “The award may carry one name, but the applause is for all of us,” he affirmed, urging citizens to guard the peace and fuel the pace. “If you see results wey dey sweet like this, you no change am — you charge am up.” As the echoes of Eko’s ovation roll back to the Niger Delta, one message is minted: when a game changer sits in Government House, the whole state levels up.
