IN a time when performance in public office is often measured more by rhetoric than results, Delta State stands out as a state where infrastructure is speaking louder than words. At the heart of this transformation is Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whose two years in office have been marked by an aggressive push for development across the state. In this chat with PATRICK MGBODO, Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Monitoring and Audit, Dr (Engr) Goodnews Agbi shares more. Excerpts:
How would you appraise Governor Sheriff Oborrvwori’s performance, particularly in infrastructural development?
It is glaring to the whole world what Governor Oborevwori is doing in Delta State. Everybody is aware that because of his performance, he has been given awards by some of the leading newspapers, Vanguard and ThisDay. It is because of his performance.
You are in Delta and you pass through all the roads, especially if you are in Asaba. If you travel the road from Asaba to Ughelli, you will see the construction going on, even the completion. As we speak, the Asaba/Ughelli dual carriageway will soon be completed. The other sector from Ogwashi-Uku to Asaba is completed. This is just one example.
If you go to all the nooks and crannies of the state, you will see construction going on. It is unprecedented. It has never been seen before in the country where a governor will be doing this type of construction. The other day, during the exco meeting, over 75 memos were approved. I mean, Governor Oborevwori has a passion for the development of the state.
He has a passion for providing infrastructure, and that is why people, even outside Delta recognise what he is doing. That is also why we have these awards. He is just barely two years in office (today), and some governors have not been able to achieve what he has achieved. So, we need to celebrate him. We also need to pray for him so that he can continue because, if he does not have the strength, he will not be able to do all these things.
So, we pray for him that God should give him more strength and wisdom to continue what he is doing. If he continues like this for eight years, Delta will become an El-Dorado. It will be a different thing entirely.
Can you identify more of those flagships that distinguish Governor Oborevwori in the last two years?
They are so numerous. Where will I start from? Let us look at a few. You have this other road and bridges at the Ode-Itsekiri axis; it has been there for several years. But the Governor is almost completing it. If you look at the new university campus at Orerokpe, you will be marvelled at the speed with which that project is being completed. If you look at the Udu Harbour Market, the largest of its kind in West Africa, it is also being completed. And even the Bomadi Road, which those living in that area complain of the nightmare they pass through on that road, is also being completed. These are major roads, not to mention the stormwater drainages. These projects are so numerous and scattered across the 25 local government areas.
The legacy projects are the three major bridges done by Julius Berger. If you have left Warri in the last five years, when you come back, you will not recognise the place again. This is not politics; we are being factual. We are talking of the reality of what is on the ground. In just two years, all these were done.
Many would argue that the Governor can do all of these because of the state’s ‘fat’ resources. Do you think this is true?
Well! That is their opinion. Fat resources? What is the percentage of increase of the resources when compared to what others were earning or some other states in the Niger Delta region? It is just the Governor’s prudence. If you give Governor Oborevwori less, he will still work. Some of us wonder where the projects are coming from; projects here and there.
There are projects everywhere, and this is why we find it difficult to catch up with all the projects going on as a monitoring unit.
Before you know, another project has started and just the next week, there is another project awarded. So, it is a unique experience.
Governor Oborevwori has become quite popular for monitoring these projects himself, but some people have argued that it portrays a lack of trust in his lieutenants. What do you think?
It is not a matter of trust but being on the spot to see (first hand). As I said, the projects are very many and there are some mega projects that are demanding so much funds. As a responsible Chief Executive, you want to see what is on the ground. Sometimes, we send report to the Governor. When they send reports to you as the Chief Executive of a state like Delta, you will want to go and see some of these things by yourself.
If we see that a road is badly being done and it is something beyond our capacity to stop such contractors, we will inform the Governor, and he will go there and see for himself. So, it is not showmanship. The Governor is taking a personal interest in the development of the state.
For example, assume that you are the manager of a very big company and people report to you on developments in the establishment. Would you not want to go and see those things for yourself? You cannot always sit in your office and wait for your subordinates to come and report to you. So, it has nothing at all to do with mistrust.
Recently, the Governor moved to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). But before his movement, he had been criticised by some sections of the now former opposition that he is not reflecting equity in siting projects across the state. How would you react to this?
No! That is not true. We are the ones always on the field. We do the project monitoring and audit. I can tell you that for the first year and beyond, there was no project in Osubi where the Governor comes from. Projects were being sited elsewhere and it was just until recently that you see the specialist hospital and the storm drainage at Osubi. These are the two major projects there and they were only of recent.
So, the allegations are not true. You know that the opposition will always want to talk. There are certain things they play politics with, but the Governor does not play politics with projects. He does not. As I said earlier, projects are cited in every nook and cranny of the state. Every local government area feels the impact of the Governor, whether across the riverine or the uplands.
As I earlier said, we go out every day to monitor these projects and audit the ones that have been executed, and we know what it is like to travel every day to monitor these projects. Not only that, the Governor is also completing the ones that his predecessor could not finish. So, we have a very fantastic and good-hearted person as our Chief Executive of this state. We must appreciate what God has given to us by this our Governor.
You earlier said that in two years, the Governor has achieved what many governors would not have done in eight years. Then, what should Deltans expect, going forward?
Continuing with the same momentum. It does not look like the Governor is slowing down. Why should he slow down? Governor Oborevwori is in a hurry to develop Delta State, to bring the state to a standard. He is in a hurry, and he is not slowing down.
The Governor is doing well because of the love he has for the people. He was distributing these projects, irrespective of who is in that locality. Once the scope (of project) gets to him, he starts executing. So, he will do more. I can assure that in the next two years, Governor Oborevwori would have done so much and in his next four years, Delta State will be on a higher level.
What advice do you have for Deltans?
Firstly, Deltans should go into their closets and thank God for having a governor like Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori. If you have something you cherish so much, you protect it; you don’t use it carelessly. This is what I advise Deltans to do.
This is why some of us believe and keep saying that anywhere the governor goes, we go, because of what he is doing. I am one of the proponents who believe in him so much to the extent that if he (governor) moves, I will follow him. This is because he is focused and he is delivering.
Talking about the recent political realignment, how do you see Deltans benefiting?
Why won’t they benefit? Now, we are going to get dual benefits—the ones coming from the governor, which is gathering momentum at the state level, and the ones coming from the Federal Government. So, the Federal Government will not short-change us because our governor is from another party.
Therefore, we will benefit from Asaba and also from Abuja.
Indeed, we are doubly blessed. The Governor’s movement has paved the way for a lot of things. You can get things from Asaba, from the NDDC, legacy projects that the federal government will also participate in, among other things. So, it is a very good partnership.
Y o u have spoken so marvellously about the Governor. Yet, are there no areas where you think he can do better?
For infrastructural development, road construction, and all that, I score Governor Oborevwori 110 per cent. This is because he has done more than expected. As I said, we are finding it hard as professionals to catch up. Today, we are scoping Project A, and before you know, Project B is awarded. Just as we are finishing with that, Project C is awarded. You discover that we are positively stressed, especially those of us in Engineering and project monitoring.
We are stressed positively, and we are happy with that stress because every day, there is a challenge that the Governor has thrown at us; a project has been awarded. We go and follow the project up but even before the next day, he has awarded another project. So, it is a positive challenge.
This is why we say that wherever he goes, we go.
We are not doing this because of politics. This is not politics. The development is affecting everybody positively. Today, you can travel to the Isoko area from Asaba in less than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Before, it would take you more than two hours. If you see such a governor delivering things like these, why won’t you follow him?
All the primary and secondary schools are being renovated. As we speak, there is a school in Oyede currently being renovated. That school has been abandoned for some time, but today, the story is different. Therefore, I will move with the governor everywhere he goes.
