By Fred Edoreh
As at September 2022, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had built about 1,932.14 kilometres of roads across Delta State. It is like a distance from Lagos to Sokoto and back.
Between 2022 and 2023, even in the heat of the political season, he did not cease his works. In line with his pledge to work till his last day in office and finish strong, he has added more, bringing the length of roads done to over 2,000 kilometres, easily the greatest delivery on road works by any state government.
Understandably, the burden is huge because Delta State has the highest number of urban centres in any state of Nigeria. Most other states have from only one to three major towns.
The people of Asaba now enjoy a wide network of paved roads. The interesting thing is that the roads are hardly with any potholes and the people have fast forgotten the days of bumpy and flooded roads that spewed water into their compounds.
The secret is that after careful study of the causes of the wear and tear on the roads, Okowa decided to first embark on the construction of Storm-water Drainage system across the city to channel away water from the roads before embarking on the massive reconstruction and addition of more new roads in Asaba and the environs.
The same is being done in Warri. The Stormwater Drainage system is in four phases with over 70 construction sites. The major phases in Warri and Uvwie are at over 80% completion. When fully done, it not only becomes easier to reconstruct the roads but they will be guaranteed to last long.
Notwithstanding, road reconstruction in Warri and environs has taken off in areas where the stormwater drainage have been completed. It is also for this achievement that the government has awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Warri Township Stadium which hitherto got flooded with any little rain.
Residents in major towns like Sapele, Ughelli, Agbor, Kwale, Abraka, Oleh, Ozoro etc, have seen new roads emerge and old roads reconstructed.
From the major inter-city roads, travellers would see various link roads that connect hundreds of villages across Delta.
Even more remarkable is the fact that Okowa has shown great commitment to the completion of the Ughelli-Ozoro-Asaba Highway. The volume and pace of work on the road is much more than before he came.
When completed, which is sure thing under incoming Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, that road which connects the three Senatorial Districts of the state will deliver even greater commercial value to businesses not only in Delta State but to businesses in the South East. It will inspire them to direct their shipments to Warri Port as it will become easier to transport their goods from Warri to Onitsha and Enugu instead of landing at the Lagos ports.
But even of more interest is the construction of bridges. There is no point talking about the Koka Flyover that has now solved the incidence of traffic crash into the River Niger Bridge. It is a common welcome for not just residents of Asaba but various national businesses and everyday travellers.
Most inspiring is the bridges into the riverine communities. The people of Benekuku and adjoining communities in Ndokwa, Isoko, Bayelsa, Anambra and Imo sure know that something new has come to them.
For decades Benekuku has only been able to access themselves by pontoon. All that is over. Not only can they now drive directly home but visitors and businesses can now drive to them.
The experience is the same with the Ayakoromo Bridge across Forcados River, the five trans-Warri project bridges, the Ovwor/Effurun-Otor Bridge in Ugheli South Local Government Area, the Oha/Orerokpe/Oviore Bridge in Okpe LGA and the Agbarho/Orherhe Bridge.
Other bridges include the Over Rail crossing at Agbor, the Ogwashi-Uku Twin Bridges across Obo River, Orere Bridge, Obiaruku Bridge, Isheagu Bridge, Ovrode/Ofagbe Bridge and Ewulu/Isheagu Bridge.
But why call Okowa “Roadmaster” when he impacted seriously on various other sectors?Perhaps the Ministry of Works was simply selfish to have personalised the achievements of Okowa to itself.
Why not “Education Master” because the delivery of Okowa in the education sector is even more gripping.
In line with his vision on human capital development to inspire productivity, jobs and wealth creation, he not only invested in skills acquisition and empowerment of Deltans for entrepreneurship but set up new and reactivated various Technical Colleges to equip Delta youth with high technical knowledge, creativity and industry.
Then he rejigged the tertiary education system with the establishment of three new universities: University of Delta, Agbor, Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, and University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, from Ozoro Polytechnic.
The import is that while, before now, over 25,000 Deltans pass JAMB exams and only about 4,000 got admitted, the new universities now provide more room for admission.
What about the health sector? While some note the Asaba Specialist Hospital with its State-of-the-Art Facilities, others are more wowed about the Mother and Child Hospital in Owa.
Guess the best way to conclude is that Okowa is an all-rounder that achieved all-round, someone we should keep praying to emerge into national power system to help the rebuilding of our nation.