Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state on Monday, May 23rd, 2016 gave his
administration’s score card in the past one year and received encomiums from
journalists who commended his strides and efforts in advancing progress in the
state in spite of the lean funds of the state.
The South-South Vice President Zone F of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Eddy Ogude opened the flood gate of commendation for
the governor at a briefing organized by the Ministry of Information to flag off
activities to mark the first year in office of the governor. Ogude said he has
been moving round states and that there is a marked difference between the
states he visited and Delta state, such that even in the height of ravaging
economic difficulties and paucity of funds, Governor Okowa is still making
strides and remaining focused on his development agenda for the state.
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| Okowa at the press confab, flanked by Delta state PDP Chairman, Barrister Esiso left, and Mr. Patrick Ukah, information commissioner. |
While urging the governor not to relent, he advised that
Okowa should understand that what he would be remembered for is the physical
and intangible legacies that he would leave behind, and how well he impacted on
the lives of the people.
Other journalists who spoke also commended in particular his
shrewd style of funds management that has made it possible to even pay workers’
salaries as at when due, when a number of states in the federation are owing
workers’ salaries for long periods of months, all because of paucity of funds.
In his speech, Governor Okowa recalled that he took over the
reins of government in the middle of a serious economic crisis, in which
monthly revenue both from the Federation Account and internally generated
Revenue had dipped significantly. “The non-oil sector of the economy remained
largely untapped. The level of youth unemployment was troubling, posing a clear
and present danger to the socio-political stability of the state. Our credit
was in bad shape, and the financial system was at best, shaky and at worst,
perilous. Indeed, our promise of prosperity for all Deltans seemed illusory,”
Okowa said.
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| Okowa in handshake with Comrade Eddy Ogude, NUJ South-South vice Chairman Zone F |
He then moved swiftly and decisively to restructure state
liabilities and put in place processes and procedures to plug leakages,
eliminate wastes and ensure fiscal discipline. The measures thus, enabled the
administration to achieve “a great deal of macro-economic stability while
creating the right conditions for us to implement programmes under the S.M.A.R.T
agenda.”
He gave some highlights of his administration’s achievements
in this first year to cover job and wealth creation, infrastructural
development, agriculture, education, health, and peace building. On job and
wealth creation Okowa said: “At the very core of our S.M.A.R.T agenda is job
and wealth creation because we realize that the only way to achieve sustainable
economic growth is to create new jobs, diversify the economy through the development
of non-oil sectors, and provide the enabling environment for enterprises and
industries to thrive.
“It is my pleasure to announce that as at April 30, 2016, a
total of 17,173 private sector jobs were created by this administration. This
figure consists of 6,800 indirect jobs and10.373 indirect jobs of both skilled
and unskilled workers”.
And as a deliberate measure to fund the unfunded poor, women
and the vulnerable in the society, so they can prosper from the global economy,
the sum of N546 million was disbursed from May 2015 to April 30, 2016 through
the restructured and repositioned Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Agency to a total of 3,110 within the various micro, small and
medium enterprises. “They included 2,052 females representing 66 percent of the
loan recipients and 1,058 males representing 34 percent. The ratio is in
compliance with CBN regulations that 60 percent of micro credit should go to
women,” Okowa stated.
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| A cross section of journalists at the press briefing. |
On infrastructural development, the governor said: “consistent
with our determination to develop, maintain and renew our infrastructure in
line with our growth aspirations, the first year of this administration has
witnessed wide ranging developments in the construction of roads, markets
development and the building of hospitals and schools. To date, at least 54
road construction/rehabilitation contracts have been awarded through the state
Tenders Board and the Ministerial Tenders Board. This figure does not include
projects executed by Direct Labour Agency (DLA). Starting from tomorrow, (Tuesday,
May 24th, 2016), I shall commence the commissioning of these
projects.”
On agriculture, Governor Okowa said in the past one year,
his administration focused on stimulating and increasing the yield of our
small-holder farmers through the production and processing support programme
(PPSP), which is aimed at scaling up the use of modern farm inputs and
technologies of small-holder farmers to increase the yield of crops, livestock
and fishery enterprises. “Towards this end, we distributed tractors to 39
co-operative societies. Another set of 106 co-operative societies got Mellon
Shellers while 18 other co-operative societies received outboard engines and
fishing gears support packages.
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| Director of information, Mr. Paul Osahor, right, Mrs. DBS General manager, Mrs. Binitie and Comrade Eddy Ogude at the briefing. |
“We also distributed improved variety of cassava cuttings,
fertilizer, and cash to 475 cassava farmers; 100 fishery farmers were given
fingerlings, feeds and cash; 100 poultry farmers were supported with
200-day-old chicks each, feeds and cash; 50 piggery farmers received 10
growers, feeds and cash; while 40 tomato farmers were supported with seedlings,
agrochemicals and cash.”
In the area of education, the Delta State Vocational and
Technical Education Board Bill to the State House of assembly. The bill is to
provide the regulatory frame work to administer and promote technical education
in the state, and it was passed and signed into law in June 2015. “Since then
we have reconstructed, rehabilitated and equipped three technical colleges in
ofagbe, Sapele and Agbor,” Okowa declared. The three colleges are among other
projects to be commissioned by the governor.
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