AS reactions continue to trail the 33rd anniversary of Delta State’s existence, the Chief Strategist to the Delta State Governor, Dr. Festus Okubor, has attributed the state’s impressive development to two broad factors.
Speaking with The POINTER in an interview, Dr. Okubor identified the maintenance of peace, stability and continuity of successive leadership, and the deliberate choice of even development of the entire state as features that distinguish Delta from other sub-nationals.
He said the uninterrupted governance of the state by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had ushered in phenomenal developments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture amongst other sectors.
He added that the simultaneous growth and development of many local government headquarters in the state has engendered unity and peaceful co-existence among the people.
According to him, “there are lots of benefits in continuity. Delta is one state that has benefitted massively from the stability of governance. Today, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is doing a yeoman’s job in Warri; clover bridges, flyovers, and beautiful roads undertaken at immense cost by Julius Berger.
‘’So, we are hoping that in another one or two years, Asaba, Warri, Agbor, and Sapele will be comparable to other cities around the world. As a policy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, we refrained from benchmarking Delta against any other state in Nigeria because we thought we should compete on the global stage’’
“Facilities have been put in place. The only direction now for us is up. We are lucky to have at least 10 cities that can compare with the capitals of other states in Nigeria; Asaba, Warri, Ogwashi-Uku, Agbor, Ughelli, Sapele, Kwale, Orerokpe, Oghara.
“Each of these towns can compete with many state capitals around Nigeria and to have been able to develop them simultaneously is not a small achievement’’ Chief Okubor said, adding that more work would be done, particularly in riverine areas to further reflect the MORE agenda of the current administration”, he noted.
