Okowa Is Determine To End Wasteful Spending --- Aniagwu

By Kenneth Orusi, Asaba
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The campaign to end the era of wasteful spending by government officials is currently being championed by the Delta State governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.

This was made known Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, when he visited the Indigenous Newspaper and Magazine Chapel (INMC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council in Asaba, the state capital.

He said the complaint from some government officials that Okowa, had beamed his searchlight on them was uncalled for as the governor was ensuring that wasteful spending and haphazard award of contracts was a thing of the past.

The CPS noted that it is the responsibility of the governor to check all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to ensure that all went well, “it is the duty of the governor to ensure that all is well. The powers also lies with him to appoint and to remove anybody that he feels is not doing well in the administration”.

On the Direct Labour Agency (DLA) road, the governor’s spokesperson noted, “The kind of job we need to do in DLA road is not the type that will bring regret to the government. We are looking at it to ensure that water is channelled correctly to avoid the present flood that residents are experiencing. Okowa is determined to do a job that will stand the test of time.”

On the Okpanam road, he said the government was waiting for the dry season to come to resume work on the road, “you know we need to deepen the drainage to allow water flow. The problem we have in some part is because the drainages are not deep, so when it rains, when the water could not find its way through, it overflows into the road, houses and stores that are along that way”.

On the cessation of fire by the Niger Delta militants, particularly the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), he said has resulted into a robust revenue for the state, appealing to militia groups to allow peace to reign for better economy.

Aniagwu revealed that Okowa earlier inspected the Onyeobi Way which tippers has destroyed, noting that the governor has promised to construct the road and to relocate the association to another place, “the governor has called for a meeting with them”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Spence Friday Idighri, thanked the CPS for making it possible for the Chapel to have a place it can call its secretariat.

He appealed further that the secretariat needed furniture to make it more habitable.

On their part, the Vice President of NUJ Zone F, Comrade Edward Akpati Ogude and the Chairman Delta State Council, Comrade Norbert Chiazor commended the CPS for his kind gesture towards journalists in the state.

They called on members of the fourth estate of the ream to shun destructive journalism and embark on developmental journalism which according to them would bring more cordial relationship between the Union and the state government.