DTSG THREATENS TO RELOCATE PROJECTS FROM HOSTILE COMMUNITIES

Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the weekend read the riot act to traditional rulers and youths mounting undue pressure on contractors executing government projects and warned them to desist from such act or risk being denied of such projects.

Speaking to newsmen in Warri shortly after the inspection of some projects being executed by the state government, the governor frowned at traditional rulers and their subjects not encouraging government and contractors in the smooth execution of such projects.

The Governor who was accompanied by the State Information Commissioner, Barrister, Chike Ogeah, Commissioner for Special Infrastructures, Mrs. Orezi Esievo, Commissioner for Project Monitoring, Mr. Ifeanyi Osuoza and other top government officials made it clear that such act was not acceptable to government and would be forced to move such projects to areas that give an enabling environment for execution of projects.

He said; “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the youths, the communities and even to the traditional rulers to stop disturbing the contractors. I have told them that they have to be interested in the projects in the communities because when the traditional ruler is the cause of disruption of project in a community, it is not very nice.”

“If there is a school in this community, it is not my child that will attend the school; it is the children of the community that will attend the school. The hospitals that are being built; it is not my child that will attend the hospital. It is the community people that will attend the hospital. So for whatever project we are doing, it is in the interest of the community and so it is not acceptable that communities should be disturbing projects.

I am appealing to the youths now but if any youth continue to disturb any project, we are going to find other ways to handle the youths and such projects”, he stated. According to him, “We have a road project that is going on in one of our communities and the traditional ruler is asking for so much money from the contractor, this is not acceptable. In some other places, especially in Delta North, you will see communities assisting in completing the projects. But here, undue pressure is being mounted on contractors, as if they are doing us a favour”.

Inspecting the Multi Billion Naira Leisure Park at Oleri in Udu Local government area, the governor expressed satisfaction at the level of work and assured of it early completion, saying that; “By the time we finish, it will attract a lot of persons, it will empower a lot of people. It will empower over five thousand persons. It will attract a lot of persons because it is a place of leisure”.

“We started the beautification of the stretch from Effurun roundabout down to DSC here. So you see there are a lot of things that we did not predict to do but we are doing them now. For instance, we have to pay for the beautification. We are installing street lights right from Effurun roundabout down to DSC so that people who are saying they do not have street light will now have street lights.

We hope they will take care of it and they will not vandalize it.”
Governor Uduaghan inspected the Ikengbuwa Primary School, Ajamimogha , Isibovbe Primary School, Ikurode Urhobo, Agbeje  Primary School, Ugbuwangue, Yonwuren College, Warri, Central Hospital, Warri, Alderstown School for the deaf, Warri, Calvagina Pirmary School, Warri, Hussey College, Warri, Olodi Primary School, Warri, Maternal Care Centre (MCC), Ekpan, Delta Leisure Resorts, Oleri and Igbogidi Primary School in Udu local government area of the state.