The Delta State Government has intensified its empowerment programmes at the grassroots to cushion the effects of prevailing economic policies and strengthen the purchasing power of residents, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, has said.
Aniagwu disclosed this while speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight, explaining that the intervention was part of the Oborevwori administration’s efforts to ensure that the relative stability being achieved at the macroeconomic level translated into tangible benefits for ordinary Deltans.
According to him, the economic policies introduced at the federal level had triggered challenges for citizens, making it necessary for the state government to deliberately introduce interventions that would put resources directly in the hands of people at the grassroots.
He said the state government had therefore directed local government councils to participate in empowerment initiatives, alongside programmes being implemented directly by the state.
“Having been able to witness that level of stability, we felt that it was important for us to see how that stability can also cascade to the lower level, which is the micro level,” Aniagwu said.
He explained that boosting the purchasing power of residents was critical to addressing the impact of economic hardship, stressing that empowerment remained one of the immediate ways of putting resources into the hands of people.
Aniagwu also disclosed that the state government was preparing to embark on a massive renovation of public schools across Delta State as part of its broader intervention in infrastructure and the local economy.
He said the exact number of schools to benefit from the programme had yet to be determined because commissioners had been directed to assess and scope the facilities across the state.
According to him, the exercise would enable the government to establish the level of deterioration and determine the number of schools requiring various forms of intervention.
“We cannot simply wake up and say we will renovate 50 schools when the assessment may show that 80 or 200 schools require attention,” he said.
The commissioner, however, noted that renovation was already ongoing in some schools, adding that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had directed that the intervention be expanded to cover a considerable number of additional schools.
He said the programme would not only improve the learning environment but also stimulate economic activities by engaging local contractors, artisans and suppliers.
Aniagwu explained that materials such as cement, sand, blocks and reinforcement rods would be sourced locally, while labour would also be sourced from the communities where the projects were being executed.
He said the approach would ensure that government expenditure circulated within local economies and created opportunities for businesses and artisans.
“If you are going to spend about N140 million to renovate a school in a particular community, there is a tendency that a significant portion of that money will end up in that community,” he said.
Aniagwu said the school renovation programme should not be interpreted as an indictment of previous administrations, stressing that public infrastructure required continuous maintenance.
He said Delta had more than 1,300 primary schools and over 460 secondary schools, in addition to several state-owned tertiary institutions, making continuous maintenance inevitable.
“When you build something, even if it is new, it is not going to last forever,” he said.
According to him, exposure to sun, rain, wind, flooding and constant use could result in the deterioration of roofs, ceilings, doors, windows, furniture and other school infrastructure.
The commissioner likened school maintenance to road maintenance, noting that roads constructed several years ago would also require rehabilitation as a result of traffic and weather-related stresses.
He said the government’s current intervention was therefore part of an ongoing maintenance process aimed at preserving public assets and ensuring that residents continued to benefit from government investments.
Aniagwu added that the administration would announce the number of schools to be covered and the specific scope of work after the ongoing assessment had been concluded.
