By Fred Edoreh
In keeping with his promise to hit the ground running on his MORE Agenda, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori intensified works within his first 100 days in office towards delivering over 117 kilometres of roads and bridges and about 85 kilometres of drainages.
This is besides other achievements in the improvement of welfare of public servants from the state to local government levels, the approval of palliative measures to cushion the effect of subsidy removal for the workers as well as widows, persons living with disabilities, the aged and various vulnerable segments of the society.
The roads, bridges and drainage projects distributed across the three Senatorial Districts of the state are part of the 400 projects under execution inherited from the previous administration.
While some have been completed and ready for commissioning, others are in advanced and final stages of completion.
The feat is in keeping with Oborevwori’s promise of consolidation and assurance that no project inherited from the previous administration will be abandoned.
In the Oshimili/Aniocha area, the projects in focus include the Okpanam/Ibusa Road from Okpanam Junction on the Benin Expressway; the Kwakagbor Community Road from Summit Junction, Asaba; Phase II of Ibusa/Achalla/Asaba Road to increase the length from 6.83 to 13.08 km; the Oko-Amakam/Oko-Obiakpu Road, with 900 metres access link to the Second Niger Bridge; and the two phases of flood control measures around Madonna College Road in Asaba.
The Warri/Uvwie area has the largest project, being the 26.21 km Trans Warri – Ode Itsekiri bridges and access roads with over 15 km of drainages. The access and link road sections include Ubeji to Ode-Itsekiri Roundabout with spurs to Ijala, Ugbodede, Orugbo, Ajigba, Inorin and Usele, on one hand, and Ode-Itsekiri internal roads, on the other.
Other projects under focus in the area include the access road from Nigercat Junction on NPA Road through Izakpo Road to the New Tankers Park in Ekpan, Uvwie LGA; the DSC Roundabout link road off the Ughelli/Patani Expressway; and the Kokodiagbene Township road in Warri South.
These are besides the rapidly progressing storm water drainage project in Warri, Uvwie and environs.
In Ndokwa/Ukwani axis, the flagship project is the Kwale-Beneku Bridge (360 metres main bridge and 20 metres span bridge) and approach roads, connecting Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East.
Other projects in the area include the Obi-Ibabu/Ibabu Road in Onicha-Ukwani; the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Obiaruku Township roads comprising Jehovah Witness Road, Uwomena, Ifukor and Ekeruche streets, and Dafe Road extension; Phase II of the Obiaruku-Umuebu Road; and Obi-Ibabu main road.
In Ika, the projects include the construction of 6 km drainage channel from Owa-Alero and environs through Owa-Alizomor and Owa-Ofie into Iyi-Amah stream; the completion of 10 km Boji-Boji Owa/Otolokpo road, as well as the 11.64 km Owa-Alero/Umunede Road with 5.50 km of drainage.
Ughelli axis has the 5.40 km bridge across Orere River with access and spurs in Orere town, and the Comrade Izeze Boulevard in Oginibo.
In Isoko South, Phase II of the Okpolo/Enwhe/Uhweru Road to link the East-West Road has been completed while work on Phases 1 and 3 are in top gear towards completion.
The projects in Governor Oborevwori’s home Okpe LGA include the construction and rehabilitation of Ugolo Okpe/Okorikpehre Road which has been completed and the Otevwe Ochuko/Omo Obiyan/Iyamu streets in Okuokoko.
While these projects have enjoyed great attention within the 100 days of Governor Oborevwori in office, the Delta State Executive Council in its inaugural meeting further approved more projects for execution.
According to the Commissioner for Works (Urban Roads and Highways), Hon Reuben Izeze, the projects include the reconstruction of Upper and Lower Erejuwa Roads; rehabilitation of Esisi Road from Warri Sapele Road to Estate Roundabout with a spur to Nana College and link to Ajamimogha in Warri; rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of the failed sections of PTI Road in Effurun, Uvwie; and the installation of all-in-one LED solar powered street lights along NPA – DSC Expressway and its environs in Uvwie and Warri South areas.
Others are the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of Oviri Court-Adagbrasa Road, and rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of Ohorhe-Adagbrasa-Ugolo-Okuodiete road with a spur from Adagbrasa to Ughwagba Community to Okan Junction along the Eku-Osubi-Effurun Road in Okpe LGA.
Also approved are the construction of roads around Otovwodo Junction in Ughelli North; the construction of Nsukwa-Umute-Adonte Road (Phase I) from Nsukwa to Umute in Aniocha South; and
remedial works on the failed approach on Bedesegba Bridge along Ohoror-Bomadi Road in Bomadi LGA.
Explaining the driving spirit behind the provision of roads, bridges and other infrastructure linking communities, Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, said during an inspection tour that it is about urbanising the communities to grow their commerce, industry, employment and wealth creation capacities to hem rural-urban drift.
“What we have continued to do is to inter-connect communities to stem the tide of rural-urban drift. Once you have good roads and schools, you can begin to have buildings and this place can become a city.
“China that you hear that about 50 or 60 percent of the communities live in cities, it doesn’t mean they relocated those living in the rural areas to the cities. All they did was bring development and infrastructure to rural areas and that’s exactly what we are doing.”
