Newly appointed Delta State Commissioner for Public Information, who also doubles as Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads), Mr Charles Aniagwu, has dismissed insinuations in the public space that the redeployment of hitherto Commissioner for Information, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza to now serve as Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House was punitive, even as he declared that the appointment has now placed Dr Osuoza in an advantageous position in view of his proximity to the Governor under the same building complex.
Aniagwu disclosed this in his inaugural Media chat, following his second coming to the Ministry, adding that his new official designation is now Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information.
Further explaining the unexpected minor cabinet reshuffle, which came to many as a surprise over the weekend, he said, “There is no Commissioner that holds a permanent position. In Akwa Ibom as we speak the governor has dissolved his cabinet. What happens in terms of redeployment is a routine. Change is a normal thing. The good thing is that my colleague (Osuoza) that was here has played his role.
“Today, the governor believes that he can and will also be able to play very critical role in the advancement of our State in another capacity as the Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House.
“So there is a whole lot; he is now even closer to the governor. So for those of you that are thinking it is a sack or demotion that is not true.
“If he doesn’t enjoy the confidence of the governor”, he went on, “the governor will not even bring him closer.
“When somebody fails do you bring the person closer so that tells you that he (Osuoza) has done well.
“That the governor has brought him closer to Government House shows that the governor also has confidence in his ability to deliver.
“So let nobody go with the impression that somebody did wrong and another brought to come, no, that is not”, Aniagwu emphasized.
Flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Public Enlightenment (Projects and Policies), Mr Olisa Ifeajika, the Commissioner who was recently directed to oversee the State Information Ministry, also spoke specifically on other state of affairs in the state, assuring that Governor Oborevwori was not interested in any political fight but was primed to responding to critics with the delivery of many more viable projects.
On the rife speculations that Governor Oborevwori was intending decamp to APC, Aniagwu said: “We have seen a whole lot of publications in different places, including those that are insinuating that he (governor) is leaving the PDP.
“Oborevwori is a very proud member of the Peoples Democratic Party. Today, Oborevwori is a clear leader amongst leaders of the party in Nigeria, and he is not in any way hungry to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party. His business, at the moment, is governance and he is not going to lose sight of it.
“Because of side talks and because he believes that this is not the time to begin to play politics, what he is doing at the moment is to ensure that he keeps faith with all Deltans.
“He believes that every Deltan deserves the dividend of democracy and that is what he has concerned himself all about.
“I also recall that in one of our outings at the UPU celebration at Uvwiamuge-Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, the Governor asked his kinsmen and Deltans to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“He was very clear when he noted that the support for Tinubu also is equal to support for him, that is not politicking; that is governance because, the times we are in now is not for politics but governance.
“Even if you are the Chairman of the opposition political party today and your son or daughter goes into exam particularly the Common Entrance and they ask that your daughter or son who is the President of Nigeria today your daughter or son cannot rise within the same political sentiment with you to say that President Tinubu is not the President. You know that he will fail the exam by saying that.
“For a governor to say support the President because if you support him and he succeeds, our country succeeds, that is the height of patriotism”, he stated.
Aniagwu equally noted that Governor Oborevwori had kept faith with the continuation and completion of inherited projects, while also initiating new ones.
“Having continued with the numerous projects he inherited, he is currently advancing the state with completion of ongoing roads, while also initiating more projects.
He listed some of the inherited, ongoing and completed projects to include the Okpanam-Ibusa bypass; Beneku bridge; Asaba /Ughelli dual carriageway, particularly sector C1 and C2, Sector A and with repairs in Sector B as well as the 6-story High Court Complex in Asaba.
On initiating new projects, Aniagwu, said the Warri and Effurun skyline would never be the same again as Julius Berger was handling the laudable projects with three flyover bridges and road expansion works currently ongoing in the corridor.
According to him, “other roads have been completed within Asaba and the capital territory, while in Delta South a lot of roads in Warri, Isoko North and Isoko South have also been completed, while new ones have also been initiated.
“In Sapele and Okpe, a lot of road projects are ongoing, while some have been completed like the Ohorhor-Adagbrasa-Ugolo-Okuodiete road, Ezesi Road dualisation in Orerokpe and other internal roads in Sapele.
“In Delta North, Eweshi-Utagba-Uno and Ndemili-Utagba-Uno Road in Ndokwa West, Akumazi-Umuocha and Owere-Olubor roads have been completed, while the Issele-Azagba-Otulu road is currently ongoing.”
Aniagwu also said Governor Oborevwori had been building bridges of possibilities, connecting communities and giving room for both business interaction and for people to also have some form of interaction with their kiths and kins in their neighbouring local government areas.
“His business, at the moment, is governance and he is not going to lose sight of it.
“Because of side talks and because he believes that this is not the time to begin to play politics, what he is doing at the moment is to ensure that he keeps faith with all Deltans.
“He believes that every Deltan deserves the dividend of democracy and that is what he has concerned himself all about.
“I also recall that in one of our outings at the UPU celebration at Uvwiamuge-Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, the Governor asked his kinsmen and Deltans to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In the Education sector, Aniagwu said the administration had established and operationalized a campus of the Southern Delta State University, at Orerokpe, as well as introduced a College of Health Sciences at the institution’s main campus in Ozoro.
He said the administration had also upgraded facilities in several general hospitals and over 150 primary healthcare centres and provided substantial funding to numerous Colleges of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Technology, and established a College of Health Technology at Ovrode, which is now operational.
On the housing sector, the Commissioner said, “the administration has commenced the building of 50 housing units made up of 30 three bedrooms and 20 two bedrooms in Ozoro, Kwale and Owa-Oyibu as a pilot scheme, while eight units of duplex are also being constructed to accommodate more Commissioners in the quarters.
“As part of its efforts at diversifying the economy of the state, the administration has sealed a deal with UTM LNG for the harnessing of the huge reserves of natural gas in the state.
On fiscal discipline and efficient resource allocation, Aniagwu said “over N200 billion has been paid to liquidate the state’s debt stock while contractors are being mobilised with new jobs with outstanding job certificates paid as they fall due.”
He added, “just yesterday, the Governor drove round the entire city to identify many projects that require attention and I can assure you that he is also ready to revamp the state’s broadcast outfits in Asaba and Warri.
“As part of breathing a new lease of life on the stations, the Governor has directed that I submit a report on the stations within the three weeks,” he affirmed.
