THE contractor handling projects for Delta State Urban Water Board at Kwale and Ughelli Zonal Offices has been urged to increase the pace of work to facilitate the timely delivery of the projects for the benefit of Deltans.
The Chairman of the Board, Chief Solomon Areyenka, who gave the advice when he led board members on an inspection visit to the project sites in both towns, noted that timely execution and subsequent handover of projects will help to address those needs that informed their awards.
“Having seen things for ourselves, we would like to advise the contractor to work faster and deliver so that Deltans and residents in those places will access the gains of siting those facilities.
“The essence of siting projects by the state government is to improve the well-being of the people. So putting them to use is very important to avoid a situation where they might end up as white elephant projects”, Areyenka told reporters at the end of the inspection visit.
At the two zonal offices, the Chairman inspected the transformers, the generator sets, and the chlorine tanks and implored the zonal managers to increase areas where water is supplied in the townships.
He suggested that changes be made to the chlorine tanks at the Kwale office by opting for bigger and stronger types like the ones at the Ughelli zonal office.
The General Manager, Mr. Nosa Okoh, assured that steps would be taken to address those concerns raised during the inspection visit. The Zonal Manager at the Ughelli office, Engr Ovo Oriolu, highlighted the non-connectivity of the transformer to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) was a hindrance to their operations, noting that resorting to the use of the available generator set was fraught with difficulties due to the high cost of diesel.
His counterpart at Kwale said the prospect of connecting the transformer was a remote possibility at present since Kwale does not have a public power supply from BEDC.
Besides the General Manager, Chief Jude Ogbekile and Chief C Udeme, among others accompanied the Chairman.
Gunmen Set LG Secretariat Ablaze In Anambra
SOME gunmen said to be in their large numbers, have attacked the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat in Anambra State.
It was gathered that the hoodlums, who invaded the local government secretariat in the early hours of yesterday, set buildings, including a town hall meant for traditional rulers and some administrative facilities at the premises ablaze.
This is the second time in two months that gunmen would attack the Ogbaru Local Government Area as a similar attack was carried out on June 15, 2024.
Although there were no casualties recorded, sources in the area who witnessed the ugly incident, said the hoodlums shot indiscriminately into the air thereby causing panic among the residents.
The sources said the attack, however, has sparked renewed concerns about security in Ogbaru, with the locals saying that some days ago, a security man was killed as a result of bullet wounds he sustained from gunmen attacks.
One of the sources in the area said, “Gunmen numbering about 30 who emerged from the bush at about 5 am, chanted songs as they stormed the local government secretariat, shooting into the air.
“They trekked from their hideouts and got to Atani Magistrate Court located near the council and started setting some buildings within the council ablaze, including the main secretariat and traditional rulers’ buildings.
“The hoodlums were about to set some other buildings ablaze before the arrival of security operatives who opened fire against them. The arrival of the police officers made them flee back into the bushes.
