One Year On: My Footprint, Our Success Story —Isoko South Council Chairman, Warri

BY MONICA OGBAUDU

AFTER an eventful one year in office, the Execu­tive Chairman, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Warri Voke Friday, rolled out the drums, not only to celebrate his administration’s landmark and people-oriented projects, but to thank God for his grace and direc­tion in carrying out his day-to-day responsibilities to his people. Preceding his empowerment of 55 women with N200, 000 each to mark the day, he spoke on his success story in the past one year of his administration. Excerpts…

You have just empowered no less than 55 women in your local government area. What informed this decision?

My administration is irrevocably committee to the welfare of all, hence my decision to empower 55 of them today. Aside this, today’s empowerment is a medium of fulfilling my promise to bring succour to my people, particularly the women at the grassroots.

Having spent one year in office, can you give an overview of what have done, and what you intend to do in future?

From the onset, my campaign slogan was, “Warri for your worries.” No doubt, we had initial turbulence, especially in the area of security. We also had

leadership tussles in Olomoro and Igbide, particu­larly because Isoko is an oil producing nation. This, of cause is normal with oil producing communities, but I thank God that, with the help of my team and security agents, we have been able to peacefully manage the situation for the progress and growth of the Local Government.

How were you been able to man­age the issue of herdsmen menace in your jurisdiction?

A couple of weeks ago, we had an experience of herdsmen menace in the Local Government, when a herdsman was caught grazing his cows in one of our communities, precisely Idheze community. He came unannounced, but as the peace-loving people that we are, we invited the owner and pleaded with him that we are mainly farmers, and if we allow his cows to graze on our farms, and our crops will be destroyed. Furthermore, we pleaded with him to take his cows out, but he insisted he would not leave, because the land was fertile.

On seeing his resistance, we had to draw the atten­tion of security operatives, even the Department of State Security, DSS office in Asaba. That was it. We were able to peacefully address the issue.

Shall we take a look at your administration’s landmark achievements aside the issue of herds­men menace in the past one year?

When I resumed office on the 15th July, 2014, to­gether with my team, l took a walk round the local government. I recall that, we discovered a bad spot along the popular Ogbemudia Road at Oleh, the Lo­cal Government Headquarters. The spot had been there for decades. Immediately, I ordered that the spot be fixed as soon as the rains subsided. As I speak with you, the spot has been fixed, and made motorable again.

We also constructed drains on the sides of the road to make room for the discharge of flood water.

We also undertook the inspec­tion of the premises, the Council Chairman’s quarter, wherever discovered that it was in a bad state, to the extent that, you won’t allow your pet to stay in the place. That necessitated my having to be coming to work every day from my community, Okpolo-Enwhe initially.

But, at a time, l told myself, this can’t continue. l and my team took it upon ourselves and carried out a major renovation of the place. By the grace of God, it was commis­sioned on 24th April, 2025 by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Dennis Imomotimi Guwor.

It is also to the credit of my administration that, within one year, the Irri/Oyede Road, that was also in a bad shape was fixed hundred percent by this administration.

Another major landmark achievement my administra­tion has made within one year is in Agriculture/food production.

From the onset, we deemed it fit that we should embark on a pilot project in farming, and if profitable, we can go into it on a larger scale.

As we speak today, our pepper farm is doing well, and we have started harvesting.

Not only that. The Council gate was in shambles when we came on board a year ago. Today it has been fixed. However, we are happy that, we are developing though we still have dilapidated structures in the Council premises.

This has led us to a project, called priority administrative block that had been abandoned for over a decade. l am glad to announce to you that, work has started, and in the next couple of months, the project would be completed and commissioned.

Within my one year in office, we had a case of cholera outbreak in one of our communities – kpide-Irri Ward 11. Without wasting time we arrested the issue and today, the community has been rid of the outbreak of the decease.

Shall we take a look at your admin­istration’s achievements in the edu­cation sector in the past one year?

Thank you. Let me begin by saying that, education is key to the success of my administration. When we came on board, some of the primary schools were not in good shape, while many of the teachers were not coming to work, insinuating that, Primary school is a man’s business.

Immediately, the Council embarked on screening exercise of teachers, and today, the report is ready. In no distant time, people will marvel at the outcome of the exercise.

During one of our visits to a school, l accosted one of the teachers, and asked her if should like it if her biological chil­dren were given same treatment she was giving to the ones in her custody in her school? She burst into tears.*

Realizing that, education is expen­sive, the Council under my watch as Chairman, embarked on the distribu­tion of exercise books to all primary schools in the local government.

In a few days’ time, it would be one year that the Supreme Court gave a judgement on local government financial autonomy. What is your take on this?

In terms of allocation, Isoko South is among the four local governments with the highest allocation in the state, but our challenge is payment of primary school teachers.

We spend over two hundred million naira on their salaries monthly.

As regards financial autonomy to local governments, l would first of all thank His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori for his prompt response. As soon as the judgement was pronounced, he mandated all the local government council’s chairmen to submit their account details to the Accountant Gen­eral of the state and the Accountant General forwarded same to the Federal Government.

Delta state is the only state that has submitted its account to the Federal Government. You can confirm this from some publication made to this effect some months ago.

We are happy about the local govern­ment autonomy, but we still plead with some of our governors who are still hold­ing back to do the needful. We can say the Federal Government has done its part but it shouldn’t wait for them. Those states that have submitted their account should be treated accordingly.

Going forward, what should the people of Isoko South expect from your administration, as you begin your second year in office?

In all of this, the people must know that, come what may, our first priority is our home, which is the Local Government Council. In moving forward, we will em­bark on Ward tour before citing projects in the communities, taking into cogni­zance their direct and pressing needs.