By ABEL JOHNGOLD
The Managing Director/CEO of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Bashorun Askia Ogieh, has stated that the Atiku Abubakar / Ifeanyi Okowa Presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would take Nigeria to greater heights.
He said the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa had done so much to prove that the PDP was ready to rescue the country from the present poor economic situation and reset the economic fortune of the nation.
Askia Ogieh, who stated this on Thursday, 15 December, 2022, in Asaba, at the epoch making ceremony at which he received an Award of Excellence from the coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Nigeria, for his show of transparency/open government partnership, commitment to professionalism and hardwork in running the affairs of DESOPADEC, said Governor Okowa has performed highly in governance but does not boast about his achievements.
“We may not be as loud as some State Governors but we have achieved a lot in delivering dividends of democracy in the state and Deltans are happy with us.
“Most communities were wiped out during the Warri Crisis and military invasion of the Niger Delta Region so we are creating new communities with modern facilities and trend.
“We are also connecting riverine communities with bridges, the multi-billion naira ultramodern Ogheye Floating Market in a riverine community in Warri North Local Government Area of the state, jetties for landing in the riverine communities, well equipped schools with modern facilities and laboratories for our people living there.
“The have built and furnished staff quarters, equipped cottage hospitals and constructed roads as a way of taking government to our people there to live the good life like those in urban cities.
“Corp Members posted to riverine communities in Delta State will have no excuse not to stay because all the things in the urban areas are there because Governor Okowa-led government has provided them”.
The award was presented by the Chairman of the CSOs in Northern Nigeria, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, flanked by the Bauchi State Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Billy Tafawa Balewa (grandson of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister); Dr. Funke Opajobi from Ondo State; Fidelis Nweke from Anambra State; Surveyor Timothy Obalola from Kogi State and others after a three days fact finding and assessment tour across the state to verify and validate projects executed by the DESOPADEC.
According to the Civil Society Organizations, the award is in recognition of Bashorun Askia’s commitment to transparency which is open government partnership, humanitarian service especially to the recent victims of flood, professionalism, hardwork and excellence in running the affairs of DESOPADEC.