OBIARUKU/Nigeria: Stakeholders in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State has cautioned against actions that will cause any form of development to be disrupted.
The call was made recently on the heel of the disruption of construction work at the Umutu Community Market, a project started by previous local government, during the first tenure of the present Council Chairman, Hon Chukwudi Dafe, but ever since had been abandoned by successive administrations of the area, but now been handled by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, with hope of completing it.
The stakeholders who spoke during a scheduled inspection of the work being carried out by the Executive Director, Social Services Development, of DESOPADEC, Hon Christopher Ochor Ochor, were the immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party of Ukwuani, and Special Assistant to the state governor on Community Relations, Chief Monday Ossai, the Chairperson of the Market Traders Association, Mrs Blessing Mogbolu, and the Vice Chairperson, Mrs Lucy Ochonogor, and the contractor who is handling the job.
Hailing what they called the unwavering support for the present state government, and the efforts of DESOPADEC, to the complete the various abandoned projects in Ukwuani Local government, stated that the state government has the welfare of the people at the fore burner of their actions, and they must be giving all the necessary support for them to deliver the dividend of democracy to the people of the area.
The leaders of the market women said that completing the market will help them as the practice now is for them to daily carry their wares to their homes after the days trading. They appealed to the Chairman of the Local Government, and those who are bent in stopping the completion of the project to see reason that it is a project for the good of the people, and not a personal project.
On his part, the former PDP Chairman, and current Special Adviser to the state governor, Chief Monday Ossai, called the action political, which if not well handled will affect the fortunes of the party in the local government area.
“I see political interests in all this. It is shocking to hear that the ongoing job for the completion of the market is being disrupted by some people. These people don’t have the love of the people, and the Peoples Democratic Party”. He said.
On his part, Hon Ochor, while speak to the press, explained that the project was taking over from the Local Government Council, who originally started it, and was taken over by the commission, due to appeal from the Umutu Community, for the Market Construction to be completed by the commission, and was approved by the immediate past government of the council.
“Every due process was followed in the handover of the project to DESOPADEC, as the commission is an interventionist agency”.
Hon Ochor however assured the market women, and people of Umutu that all issues surrounding the completion of the project will be resolved amicably, for the work to continue, as provision of such basic social amenities is part of the SMART agenda of the Okowa led government.
