By Felix Ofou
Beyond road infrastructure, flyovers and bridges, Delta State, under the watchful eyes of the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has recorded significant milestones in other areas. This has made life easier for the citizens even as the state is ranked as the second best governed in Nigeria by the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) based in the UK.
Whereas some would rather believe that Oborevwori has excelled in turning the state into a huge construction site, those same people think that is all there is to what is happening in Delta. Obviously, such critics only view Delta from a very narrow prism. They choose to ignore the big picture.
Indeed, so much has happened since Governor Oborevwori took over the reins of office on May 29, 2023. He has rewritten the economic template and turned Delta to one of the fifth largest in Nigeria, while reducing the state's debt burden from N465 billion to less than N150 billion in three years of assuming office.
Granted that the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government in June 2023 helped buoy the financial increase witnessed under Oborevwori, it must be acknowledged that he also created an enabling environment to make such a rejuvenation possible. Relative peace and security, especially in the oil rich communities, fiscal discipline and prudence as well as a rigid resolve not to borrow from the banks cascaded the state to unprecedented boom.
But, beyond the statistics are the direct gains and improvement in the life of the citizenry. There are a motley of schemes propelled by the MORE Agenda of the Oborevwori administration which impact positively on the lives of the people. From pregnant women to infants, students and youths, farmers and artisans, senior citizens and widows, there is hardly any category of persons that are not captured in the plan. Delta is bullish about the welfare of the people.
Let's take a look at the health sector where for the first time, Delta is set to have a Neuropsychiatric facility, public health laboratory aside CT scans, MRI scans and a radiology lab already working in parts of the state. Oborevwori has made these facilities available in hospitals in Oghara, Warri, Osubi, Agbor and Asaba.
These multi billion naira medical equipment were purchased and installed to make top quality healthcare accessible at affordable cost to the public. Beginning from next year, Deltans no longer have to go to neighboring states for medical emergencies and specialist attention as was the case during the Covid pandemic.
Of course, mention must be made of the newly established College of Health Technology, Ovrode in Isoko North LGA intended to provide critical workers to close the manpower gap in the sector. This is apart from the recent recruitment of over 700 health workers, including a subsisting standing order to replace doctors and nurses who leave the system as a result of the well known japa syndrome.
Delta, under Governor Oborevwori has overtaken other states in health insurance, providing care for over three million enrollees. The number includes over 10,000 widows who also collect N15,000 monthly stipend from the state government. It is on record that over 150 primary health centers have been renovated, with 50 more at various stages of completion, a feat which earned the state a whopping $400,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Of course, the street credible former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly has ensured that he remains the Governor for all by a plethora of empowerment schemes intended to provide palliatives to the citizens. Over 400,000 persons have been directly impacted while about 1.3 million are estimated to have benefitted from various schemes.
For those wondering how the Governor is able to embark on massive multi billion naira projects without borrowing, we may also let them know that no contract is awarded without a cash backup. Oborevwori not only awards the jobs, but also pays 40% upfront as mobilisation to ensure seamless and speedy completion. This is why the era of abandoned projects have become a thing of the past, with the Governor having absorbed over 300 of such projects on assuming office in June 2023.
Today, contractors, including Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, other multinational construction firms and their indigenous counterparts are happy to be working in Delta, because of the assurance of prompt payment for work done. And unlike what obtains in other states, selling of contracts has become a rarity since the government pays 40% mobilisation fee.
Worthy of note in this review is what has become the lot of the workforce in the last three years of the administration. Oborevwori paid over N5 billion to clear a backlog of promotion areas, approved the guarantee of N40 billion to clear outstanding payments to local government retirees, ordered the recruitment of over 3,000 workers into the local government system and paid N150 billion in three months as palliatives to cushion the effect of the withdrawal of subsidy by the Federal Government.
There are various housing schemes ongoing in Asaba and elsewhere, backed by the state government and at various stages of completion meant to enhance workers welfare, including the provision of car loans, which had become a thing of the past. This is aside the provision of bursary and scholarships to children of workers who died while in service.
Perhaps, the most ambitious by the Oborevwori administration is the construction of modern duplexes and provision of cars for permanent secretaries in the state. Many of those affected are full of praise for his resolve to give the permanent secretaries befitting residences to boost productivity and efficiency at the top echelon of the civil service.
Of course, it must be conceded that it is the huge investment in security architecture that has resulted in the relative peace in the state, and that also led to the significant increase in the allocation from the federal government. The military high command, the police, civil defense corps and other security agencies are pleased with Government's assistance to them and have reciprocated the gesture by ensuring peace across board.
It is no mean feat for Delta to be maintaining four state-owned universities, two polytechnics, two colleges of education, over 600 secondary schools and over 1,500 primary schools. The financial overload is huge and only a government committed to the future of its children would continue to sustain such a burden. Only recently, and in anticipation of the resumption for a new academic session, the Governor approved the massive renovation of schools running into billions of naira.
So, it is not enough to assert that nothing is happening in Delta or to ask what the Governor is doing with the huge money coming to its coffers. A lot has happened since Rt. Hon. Elder Sheriff took over the mantle of leadership in 2023. And the imprint of what has been done can be felt all over the state, including the creeks and riverine communities.
Oborevwori, through deft prudence, fiscal discipline and a personal resolve to make the state better than he met it has been working and determined to meet his set objectives, anchored on the MORE Agenda, which represents Meaningful development, Opportunities for all, Realistic reforms and Enhanced peace and security. He has ensured a drastic reduction in the debt burden inherited, refused to borrow money for projects, increased internally generated revenue (IGR) and expanded the economy to a place of envy.
Let us do away with the lies and smear campaigns. Let the truth be our guide. It's about time we ensure that our common patrimony remains with a man that is sworn to protect it and has assured a brighter future for Delta State, while building on the foundations laid by the founding fathers and former governors.
