Uduaghan's legacy of Transformation Permanent, Says Djebah

 
Global Journalist and immediate past Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Mr. Oma Djebah has described Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan of Delta State as an inspirational and innovative leader who has built a lasting legacy of transformation and sustainable development in critical frontiers of Delta state's life and in the Niger Delta region in general, stressing that what is needed is for Deltans to unite behind Uduaghan and to take advantage of the on-going state wide economic transformation embarked upon by the Uduaghan administration through engagement in productive initiatives that would further stimulate private sector growth.

Mr. Djebah, a well known Nigerian Journalist, who is also a Harvard-trained policy expert and a former senior editor at THISDAY Newspapers maintained that Governor Uduaghan has utilized the last four years to lay a very solid, strong, incontestable and viable technical and professional foundation for Delta State's prosperity, development and security through an innovative and engaging three point agenda of Peace and security, Human Capital and Infrastructure Development.

The immediate past Commissioner who spoke with Journalists shortly after an engagement session with some senior academics and policy analysts drawn from the prestigious Hunter College, State University of New York and Montclair university in New Jersey, appealed to all Deltans at home and in the Diaspora to pull their capacities and productive brains together and rally round the Delta State Governor because it is only rational and logical to do so because “it is better to build than to to destroy."

Mr Djebah said: "I worked under Governor Uduaghan very closely in the last four years as his Commissioner for Information and I can tell your categorically that he is an intensely focused leader, a very brilliant and first class physician, a world class and seasoned administrator, whose thoughts, vision and actions in Delta State has built what i call a modern Delta State beyond crude oil, a modern Delta that is diversifying its productive and economic frontiers for the prosperity of Deltans and the overall development of Delta State.

I can attest to you as my professional colleagues that with this technical, professional and economic foundation already laid, His Excellency, the Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, would Consolidate, Expand and Transform(CET) the State, to new and enviable heights during his second term in office. As you all would agree with me, the natural consequence of the CET programmme would be transformation and prosperity for all. The sort of development that Governor Uduaghan has done for Delta State, is organic, natural and would propel and accelerate growth in the world of infrastructure, in the world of industrialization, in the world of ICT, in the frontiers of Agriculture, in the frontiers of Information, in the realms of Education and Health, etc..."

“For instance, in the area of infrastructure, the list is endless. As journalist myself, you know we are trained to be empirical and scientific in our judgment and that was what I told some of those I met today during the dialogue on sustainable development in New York here.*Prevailing peace and security throughout the State

*Asaba International Airport project (near completion)*Orogodo Erosion control project (on-going)

*Opening of 42 schools in the revering areas closed during the ethnic crises in Warri and environs.*Street lights and beautification projects (Warri, Asaba, and other major cities/towns).*Construction of Sapele-Abigborodo road (on-going)

*Dualisation of Ugbenu-Koko road (on-going) *Dualisation of Asaba-Ughelli road (on-going)

*Dualisation of the old Lagos/Asaba road, Boji-Boji *Construction of permanent Government House Asaba.

* Construction of High Court Complex, Warri. * Construction of Delta Tower, Abuja.

*Beatification and Re-construction of Effurun Round-about.*Reconstruction of Markets at Mosogar, Patani, Abavo, and Ekwuoma (completed).

* Construction of Residential buildings including rural housing schemes.*Free Maternal Health programme across the state:

-The goal of the programme is to reduce maternal mortality by 50%.

- Records indicate that on average, about 4,612 women are booked monthly, 12, 240 pregnant women attend the Ante-natal clinic every month, while 1,641 deliveries take place monthly out of which 161 are through caesarean sections.*Over 55,000 person across the state have benefitted from micro-credit loans.

The prevailing peace and security in the state which has given every Deltan a sense of belonging is worth giving applause to. Although, this could be taken for granted, but when you look at the gains vis-a-vis other states in the Niger Delta region, you would agree with me that someday, Governor Uduaghan would be considered deserving of a Nobel Prize in Peace..."

Mr. Djebah said the empowerment of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC); as well as regular and substantial support to the police and other security agencies operating in the state in terms of communication equipment, mobility and other logistics support are testimony to the fact that Uduaghan has repositioned Delta State for greatness.

"In spite of the general security challenges the country faces, Delta State can boast of being one of the most peaceful states in the country today, a great departure from the past. The peaceful serenity of its towns and cities both day and night (with streetlights lighting up everywhere) has made criminality very marginal just as economic activities have been greatly boosted. Under the Human Capital Development template, the Uduaghan administration is second to none in the entire country. With a litany of packages ranging from Micro-Credit Programmes, Free Maternal and Rural Healthcare programmes, Payment of WAEC fees for senior secondary school students, bursary schemes, Youth Empowerment through Agriculture and Farmers' Support Programme (YETA-FSP), various agricultural boosting initiatives, and many others, Governor Uduaghan has simply defined the True Face of Delta as far as human capital development is contained. " he added.

According to him, “the Uduaghan administration is driven by the belief that a healthy population is the basis for a wealthy society and the latter can only be achieved when conscious and sustained efforts are made to empower the populace and create economically viable communities. This is why programmes that have been designed along this spectrum are deliberately tailor-made and targeted at the grassroots and rural areas where the bulk of the productive sector of the population is domiciled."

He added: "Under Infrastructure Development, some of the completed development projects under this administration include Okpare-Olomu Bridge and access road; Beautification and reconstruction of Effurun Roundabout; Reconstruction of model markets at Mosogar, Patani, Abavo, and Ekwuoma; and Construction of High Court Complex, Warri.

Other major ongoing infrastructure development programmes of the administration include the Asaba international airport project, new Government House project; expansion of the Osubi airstrip into a standard airport, Construction of the Sapele-Abigborodo road; Dualisation of Ugbenu-Koko road; Dualisation of Asaba-Ughelli road; Dualisation of old Lagos /Asaba road, Boji-Boji; Construction of

Koko-Uba-Egbelemeji road; Dualisation of Ughelli-Arterial roads; Dualisation of Ajamimuogha-Ekpen-Okere road/Bowen-Odion road/Cemetery road Warri; Dualisation of PTI /Jakpa road; reconstruction of

Agbaribo-Okan junction, Warri- Eku road ( with two bridges)."