By Sunday Egede
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, yesterday, said his priority remains the delivery of quality projects.
Speaking during the inspection of multiple projects in Asaba, the state capital, Governor Oborevwori emphasized that competence, integrity and value for money is critical to his administration’s MORE Agenda.
The projects inspected included Ogbeosowe-Ogbeilo road, Ogbeogonogo Market Storm Drainage Project and Ogbe-Ofu road, Off Jarret road, Cable Point, Asaba.
Others were the 1.7km Amaechi Agusi Street with 10 adjoining streets; Dorah Allanah Street; Oluu Street; Burutu Drive, Off Infant Jesus Road; Odilison Junior Crescent; Agbogun Close; Ngozi Odiaka Avenue; Aloy Isomede Street; Ezeobi Ojukwu Street and Ajudua Street, Okpanam as well as Aretha Table Water Street, Off NTA Road, Asaba and Redeemer’s Street, Asaba.
Governor Oborevwori said he was elected to serve the people of Delta State and not a select few, saying “friendship cannot and will not take precedence over the quality of projects we provide for the people. “Contractors in the state know that; I have always emphasized the need for quality jobs but the people who are causing this problem are not the big companies, it is some of our indigenous contractors that are causing these problems.
“The problem we are having majorly are the indigenous contractors, if you don’t patronize them, they will say you want to suffer them; they will blame you for not supporting the growth of indigenous contractors.
“We need to, also, patronize them but they should do well because some of them are not doing well and like I have said, the ones that are not doing well, will be blacklisted.
“The interest today is the public interest because the interest of the people is more important than any other thing. Some of them are not too happy but it is important the majority of the people are happy with what we are doing now.
“We are not doing media show, what we are doing is real and those who know me very well know that I will not compromise. So, if you want to be my friend, do a good job, if you don’t want to be my friend, then don’t do a good job and I will kick you out.
“Some people say that this kind of governor who is doing like EFCC, is good for the people. The masses voted for me and they appreciate what we are doing. So, I will not allow a few people to decide for us, I will not take that from them.” On requests for upward review of projects, Oborevwori said rates had gone up, adding that he usually visits such projects to see the extent of work done before carrying out any upward review. “We can only review jobs awarded 2022 and early part of 2023 before I assumed office. This is because, when we came in the dollar was around N750 now dollar it is about N1,600. Materials have gone up and we also feel for them but most especially we want them to do good job.
“You can see most of the contractors have returned to sites; we are not going to spare anybody, do the right thing,” the Governor added. He further appealed to residents of Asaba to keep their environments clean and directed the State Commissioner for Environment, Chairman Waste Management Board and the Chairman Taskforce on Environment to ensure total compliance.
