By Nelson Egware
Contrary to the statement attributed to a member of the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has said Delta State government has on numerous occasions intervened to reconstructed and rehabilitate many federal roads in the state to alleviate the challenges of transportation on the failed sections of Trunk A roads.
At the inauguration of the reconstructed 9.6km Abraka – Oben Road and flag-off of reconstruction of failed portions of Abraka – Agbor Road (Phase 1) in Abraka, Oborevwori said the state believes strongly that upgrading road infrastructure in the Niger Delta is a collaborative enterprise between the state and the federal government through its interventionist agency, the NDDC.
Oborevwori said his administration’s stance is anchored on the premise that if the Federal Government succeeds it would dovetail in the success of subnational governments.
“I thank the board of the NDDC for the vision, for acknowledging the challenges and for giving the policy guideline for the execution of this laudable project.
“I am glad that the NDDC is giving special attention to reconstruction of failed portions on roads across the region”, the Governor said at the flag-off where he was represented by the State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze.
“The Government of Delta State believes very strongly and firmly that we are partners in progress with the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
“We believe in the success of the Federal Government because of the nature of our Constitution and its operations, the success of the Federal Government will naturally translate to the success of the states as well”, the Governor said.
A former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and member representing Delta State on the NDDC Board, RT. Hon. Monday Igbuya, had inaccurately claimed that there was inadequate attention to federal roads in the area by the state government.
Governor Oborevwori said the Delta State Government had shown verifiable commitment in its interventions on federal roads across the state, recalling the state of the Benin – Warri Road before the state government intervened.
“I recall vividly that Mr. Speaker as he then was approved funds for the rehabilitation of the Benin – Sapele road by the Delta State Government.
“While he was Speaker, the Delta State Government saw the need to intervene on the Benin – Warri highway particularly from Amukpe to Effurun. It was important we intervened at that time because vehicles were spending days to commute from Benin to Warri.
“The Government as at that time rehabilitated that road under his watch as Mr. Speaker. Therefore, to give the impression that Delta State Government was leaving everything for NDDC is a fallacious misrepresentation which I needed to correct here and now.
“Let me inform you that the bridges coming up in the Warri area are on a Federal Trunk A road and the state government is intervening there to reduce travel time.
“The Ughelli-Asaba dualisation project is about 180km, I urge you to take a drive from Ughelli to Asaba and see the wonderful intervention of the Delta State Government on that federal highway.
“For this road you have come here to flag-off, I can tell you that we have intervened severally on the road previously.”
Governor Oborevwori commended President Bola Tinubu for his support for the board of the NDDC thus far, urging him to continue to do more for the people of the Niger Delta.
He also commended the NDDC for the initiative to reconstruct the all important access road from Abraka to Oben and called for the completion of the road to Benin.
Izeze said Oborevwori’s good works have been acknowledged by THISDAY/ARISE News and more recently New Telegraph newspaper that named him as Governor of the Year on infrastructure.
“I don’t know if the NDDC mobilises contractors but today in Delta State we mobilize our contractors up to 40 percent so that they will not suffer from the vagaries of inflation.
Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, thanked the NDDC for heeding President Tinubu’s directive to reconstruct Section One of the road from Abraka to Oben.
While commending Governor Oborevwori for his interventions on federal roads in the state, the Minister urged Governors across the country to see interventionist agencies as partners in progress and not as competitors.
Chairman NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, commended the executive management for giving vent to the board’s directives, adding “we are glad that work has started along the Abraka – Agbor Road and the Uromi junction at Agbor.
Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Sam Ogbuku, said NDDC was working well under the full guidance of President Bola Tinubu to improve on infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
“Before the reconstruction of this road, we intervened in some areas of the East-West Road to ensure the people do not suffer unnecessarily”, he said .
Ogbuku commended state governments for their contributions to the development of the Niger Delta, adding that the NDDC was just an interventionist agency with the objective of complementing the state governments’ efforts.
(C) New Media Office
