FG Orders N1.1bn Roads In Delta

Road contracts valued at N1.1billion have been awarded for execution in four communities in the North Senatorial District of Delta, according to Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.

The senator, who is representing the district at the National Assembly, said on Saturday in Asaba that the benefitting communities are Ibrede, Boji Boji Owa, Alihiagu and Ute-Okpu.

Okowa, while speaking at an empowerment programme he organised for people in his constituency, said work on the projects would soon commence.

“The Federal Executive Council has also approved the contract for the construction of roads and drainages in Umuda Layout in Asaba, to be awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),’’ he said.

The senator said government had also started releasing funds for the Ugiliama-Ogume Road and Utor Bridge on the Asaba-Ebu-Uromi road projects.

The Tide eports that the immediate past administration at the federal level had begun the projects.

Okowa, however, disclosed that re-mobilisaton to the bridge site was being delayed by the contractor’s demands for “a review of rates or contract pricing’’.

He said further that he and members of the House of Representatives representing constituencies in the district had engaged in partnerships in order to attract projects to the area.

“We have continued to co-operate as brothers in the things that concern our senatorial district and state,’’ the senator said, adding “in unity, we can achieve more for our people”.

Speaking at the occasion, Delta’s Gov, Emmanuel Uduaghan said it was necessary for the state government to have details of the projects to ensure there was no duplication of efforts.

“This will help to ensure there is no duplication in what the state and federal governments are doing in this area.

“The resources are quite limited. So, we must know who is doing what, so as to enable us channel the resources properly, rather than spend them on duplicated projects,’’ he said.

Uduaghan commended Okowa for the bills he had sponsored at the Senate, saying he had demonstrated that he was worth the election he won to the National Assembly’s upper chamber.

“It is not easy to sponsor bills. It requires knowledge and boldness to sponsor bills and our Senator has been demonstrating these two basic attributes of a good legislator,” he said.

The governor commended the senator’s empowerment programme and his ability to attract development programmes and projects to his district.

Our correspondent reports that more than 400 people in the senatorial district received vehicles and starter-packs for self-sustaining businesses.

Other materials received included tricycles and a cash of N7.25 million to indent students in secondary and tertiary institutions.