Asaba: The Senior Special Assistant on Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. Solomon Ebinum has said that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has amassed a strong record and delivered on many important promises and based on his accomplishments over the past one year and nine months, he has made a strong case for himself for a second term in office.
Speaking in his office at Asaba, he said that the governor was voted into office not based on ethnicity but rather the satisfaction of his personality.
According to him, the governor met the toughest period in the history of delta.
“Let’s start with the fact that Governor Okowa has presided over one of the toughest periods in Deltan history and inherited a financial crisis that was of ruinous proportions”.
“He met a state that was financially impotent but the amazing thing is how he is able to be treating the impotence and at the same time making the state give birth to significant infrastructural and human capital developments”.
Mr Ebinum said despite the recession, the governor has done well and to appreciate the true extent of his achievement, it is necessary to view it through a non-ideological prism.
“One of Governor Okowa’s uncommon achievements is the reconstructed state-owned technical colleges in Agbor, Ofagbe and Sapele. This was informed by its desire to promote technical and vocational education, which is at the core of its educational policy, Job creation/Youth empowerment”.
Another area that he recorded huge success is the YAGEP and STEP programs. In 2015, government had two main programs for the youths; the Youth Agriculture and Entrepreneurialship Program(YAGEP) and in that year 256 youths that were trained in agricultural production have all been established.
“In the Skills Training and Entrepreneurialship Program (STEP) 1044 youths were engaged. In the year 2016 YAGEP program, 342 persons were trained while in the STEP program, 557 persons were trained; the programs had their starter packs put in place and a microcredit adjustment, while providing them with starter packs, government is also introducing them to work with the microcredit scheme”.
In his word, “If you train an individual, you train a society”.
In the area of road infrastructure, the government has constructed numerous roads covering over 148kilometres. Some of the roads are Oteri township roads, Ughelli, Oleh/Emede/Olomoro road, Obiaruku/Abavo/Agbor federal road, Abraka/Eku Federal road, Owhe-Ologbo/Abbi road, Idumu-Ughoh road, Ezhinum/Abbi road, Agbor and Ejinyere/Orode road, Orerokpe. Others are Alisimie-Ozanogogo road, dualisation of Nnebisi road, Asaba and Sapele road to mention but few.
The government focused on infrastructural development of hospitals and primary health care centres as well as the procurement of drugs and cutting edge medical equipment in major health care facilities in the three senatorial districts. Today, Abavo hospital has been commissioned while Ogidigben, work has resumed. Bomadi hospital and Agbor Central hospital are also being renovated. In Environment and Urban Renewal, Construction of Storm Drainage System in Asaba to end the perennial flooding in the town. Other key towns and cities are also receiving attention.
He also signed into laws the Delta State Contributory Health Commission Bill 2015, Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Law (Amendment), 2015, Delta State Appropriation Bill 2016, Delta State Security Trust Fund (Amendments) Bill, 2016, Delta State Anti- Kidnapping Bill, 2016, Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board Bill, 2015, Delta State Capital Development Agency Bill, 2015 and other valuable bills too numerous to mention. I am confident that these new and amended laws will enhance government service delivery programmes and also improve the good work that has been done by departments and institutions who are custodians of these laws.
Governor Okowa is also playing to legacy through the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) managed by the meticulous and detailed Director General, Dr Ben Nkechika. Today, over 9473 pregnant women and 13649 under 5 children have been registered and they are accessing treatment through the Health Commission.
Taking into account what His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa faced in the beginning of his term, these aforementioned achievements are impressive but there is much more to the governor’s record.
Mr Ebinum said it has often been said that if you want to know what someone could do or would do in the future, you should take a look at what he has done in the past, especially when the initial terrain on assuming office happen to be one of the most difficult periods in the country’s history.
The governor’s aid said with the difficult terrain, the governor has done well and based on his substantial accomplishments, one should feel secured in the knowledge that the “past is prologue” when it comes to a second mandate, Governor Okowa more than deserves a second term in office.
