By OGHENENYERHOVWO TEJIRI

No stone would be left unturned to ensure even development of the state by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa led administration in Delta State.

This was disclosed by Mr. Charles Aniagwu, Chief Press Secretary (C.P.S.) to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State in a meeting with members of the Association of Community Newspapers Publishers of Nigeria (A.C.N.P.N) in Asaba, he said that despite the economic recession ravaging the country, Governor Okowa is working and recording successes in providing necessary infrastructure in the state.

According to Mr. Aniagwu, “Delta State is working, paying salaries, constructing roads and other infrastructures for the good of the people, because the state Governor remains a master in resource management. Recall that our state was heavily affected by the resurgence of agitations in the Niger Delta, as it became theatre of war for the Niger Delta Avengers which culminated in our allocation dropping to N3.2billion compared to the N20 billion we used to get prior to 2014.”

Speaking of issue of erosion and flooding along Okpanam road, Jesus Saves and DLA road, Mr. Aniagwu has this to say, “the state government undertook a proper analysis of the situation and  discovered that the existing drains cannot cope with the volume of water and mud coming from Okpanam Road, we are hopeful that before the next rainy season we would have gotten it right.”

The Chief Press Secretary added, “on Jesus Saves and DLA Roads, , reports revealed that any attempt to tackle the drainage during the rainy season would lead to collapse of many houses along that route.We have engaged the services of CCECC, a global construction company and they have assured us that work will commence on the project in October and will be completed within 6 months. In the last two years, over 98 roads are being constructed and over 40 of them spanning 612 km with over 300 km drainage system have been completed across the state.”

On wealth creation and empowerment, Mr. Aniagwu added, “in our Wealth creation programmes, we have kept faith with our YAGEP, STEP, GEEP, and CBN Anchor Borrowers Programmes as over 4,300 youths, women and farmers have so far been trained in our various agricultural and skill acquisition programmes with over 28,000 direct and indirect jobs created in the last two years.”

Mr. Aniagwu further noted that, apart from road construction, the prosperity train anchored through the SMART AGENDA is sailing smoothly in the health and education sectors, assuring that “Asaba Central Hospital will be completed in the next one year while several primary and secondary schools in the state are wearing new looks with the State Government partnership with UBEC.”

He commended the publishers for their roles in making government accountable to the people, saying, “the primary purpose of the media is to make the government accountable to the people and to a very large extent, the community newspaper publishers have made that possible by reaching out to the masses in their various catchment areas.”

He spoke further, “by the grace of God, with our collaborative relationship, we will work together to provide a Secretariat for the ACNPN. When you are regular and consistent in your publications, you become irresistible.”

Earlier in his speech, Mr. Jude Obiemenyego, Chairman, Association of Community Newspapers Publishers of Nigeria, (A.C.N.P.N), Delta State thanked the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor for identifying with the publishers, he urged the Delta State government to patronise community newspapers by way of adverts.