Niger Delta

Okowa To Construct Koka Junction Flyover, 13 Roads

Published

5 years ago

December 23, 2020

The Delta State Executive Council (Exco), yesterday, approved the construction of 13 roads across the state and a flyover along Ibusa Road at Koka junction, Asaba.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this during a post-exco briefing in Asaba, yesterday.
He said that the decisions reached at the meeting on the projects and other issues would impact positively on the lives of Deltans.
Aniagwu, who was in company with his Works counterpart, Chief James Augoye, said, “today, at Exco meeting presided by our Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, a lot of projects were approved for construction and with me here is my brother the commissioner for works who will brief you on the road projects.
Augoye said the ministry will complete the procurement processes for the projects by the end of January, 2021.
He listed the approved roads to include Rehabilitation of 11.85km Odimodi, Ogulaha road in Burutu at a cost of N2.1billion,
“Construction of rigid concrete pavement of 2.025km Stadium Road, Ugborodo in Warri South-West Local Government Area at a cost of N1.2billion and Construction of 6.7km access road to Ekuku Bridge in Otefe-Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area at a cost of N1.01 billion,”
Others include, “Widening and rehabilitation of 12.6km Jeddo, Ughoton road with a spur to Egbokodo in Okpe Local Government Area at a cost of N1.8billion.
“Construction of 5.2km Alizomor, Alizor, Omumu Road in Ika South Local Government Area at a cost of N1.4billion; Construction 11.6km Owa-Alero Umunede Road in Ika North East Local Government Area at a cost of N3.2billion
“Construction of 10.6km Boji-Boji Owa, Otolokpo road in Ika North East Local Government Area at a cost of N3.1billion; Construction of 9.1km Isheagu-Ewulu Road in Aniocha South Local Government Area at N2.5billion.
Augoye further said the “Construction of 500meters bridge with five stands across Orere River with access roads of 4.3km in Orere Town in Ughelli South Local Government Area at a cost of N9.8billion
“Reconstruction of 24km Ellu, Ovrode, Ofagbe, Orie-Irri, Okpe-Isoko, Uro-Irri and Ada-Irri road in Isoko North and Isoko South Local Government Areas N4.3billion
“Construction of flyover along Ibusa Road by Koka Junction, Asaba Benin Expressway N6.2billion; Completion of the construction of 4.1km Akwukwu-Igbo, Ugbolu Road Phase 2 at a cost of N2.8billion; Flood control measures along Madonna College Road in Asaba Oshimili South Local Government Area N1.8billion and rehabilitation of Eku Agbor road, Section 1 Agbor to Umutu 41.2km at a cost of N424.4million whole section 2 from Umutu to Eku 35.2km will cost N382.8million,”
He said the state government will engage two contractors to ensure that the road was completely rehabilitated by the end of January.
Aniagwu also said Exco approved the sum of N1.379billion to fund the 2020/2021 Job cycle for the Office of the Job Creation Bureau for the recruitment, training and distribution of starter packs for trainees to be handled by the Job Creation Office.
“Our job creation efforts remains one of our star projects and a major component of our Smart Agenda which is today targeted at creating a stronger Delta”.
“Exco approved N227million for the Ministry of Health upgrade of the Clinical building at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital Oghara and the expansion of Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area .
“Exco approved the appointment of Obi Boniface Uyanwanne as the traditional ruler of Ubulubu kingdom in Aniocha North Local Government Area and the appointment of HRM Emmanuel Onobrakpeya Okumagba as the Orosuen of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom in Warri South Local Government Area,”
Aniagwu further said Exco also approved the amendment to the law guiding the succession of the throne of the Obi of Owa Kingdom to include that at the event that the Obi dies in Owa Kingdom without a male son, the eldest surviving brother will be crowned king.

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Private Sector Investments

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will continue to promote private sector investments in order to enhance economic prosperity.

Eno, who stated this recently at the inauguration of a new Zenith Bank branch in Uyo, said private sector growth was critical to employment generation and the overall development of the State.

He said his long-standing business relationship with Zenith Bank exposed him to the critical roles that banks could play in supporting private sector growth.

“The bank played a laudable role in the growth of Royalty Hotels, a brand I pioneered and led until I joined public service.

“It is my hope that the bank will accord the same support to other private sector investments in the state, be it micro, small or medium-scale enterprise”, he said.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank PLC, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, described the new business office as a significant milestone in the life of the bank.

She thanked successful administrations in the state for their support to the bank over the years, saying, ”We thank the Governor for creating a conducive environment for business to thrive.

“We opened our first branch in Akwa Ibom about 25 years ago, we have enjoyed a very good relationship with the government and people of the state.

“Akwa Ibom stands out as a major business friendly state. The state is clean, accommodating, and fast developing, we commend the government for this”, she said.

The Zenith Bank chief reiterated the bank’s commitment to sustain its partnership with the government and people of Akwa Ibom in order to make mutually impactful and meaningful progress.

She urged business owners in the state, especially women, to leverage the initiatives being offered by the bank to grow their businesses.

Niger Delta

Delta Prioritises Primary Healthcare Over Flyover Projects

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Delta Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services across the state, dismissing claims that it was focusing more on visible infrastructure projects than grassroots healthcare delivery.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, made the clarification while reacting to comments by health influencer, Aproko Doctor.

Aproko Doctor recently suggested on social media that political leaders often prioritised flyovers and modern hospitals while neglecting primary healthcare centres.

Onojaeme said the claim did not reflect the situation in Delta, noting that healthcare remained a central pillar of the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori administration’s development agenda.

According to him, although road projects and flyovers are visible across the state, deliberate investments have also been made in healthcare infrastructure and services.

He said that within two years, the state government had renovated 150 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts out of the 441 public health facilities in the state.

According to him, another 150 centres are already undergoing planning and preparation for renovation.

“The effort will bring the number of upgraded primary healthcare centres to 300, thereby improving access to quality healthcare at the community level and reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state’s free maternal and under-five healthcare programme continued to yield positive results, including reductions in maternal and infant mortality, while easing financial burdens on families.

“Gov. Oborevwori recently approved the release of N2 billion to sustain the programme, alongside regular funding to strengthen Universal Health Coverage in the state,” he said.

Onojaeme also said that state-owned hospitals were granted autonomy to retain and utilise their internally generated revenue, enabling them to procure drugs, maintain equipment and respond more efficiently to patient needs.

“In specialised healthcare delivery, dialysis machines have been installed in state hospitals, helping to reduce waiting time for treatment while lowering dialysis costs from about N70,000 to N45,000 per session,” he said.

He said that CT scan machines installed at Warri Central Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, were already improving diagnosis of conditions such as stroke and internal injuries.

“While newly procured echocardiography machines are strengthening early detection of heart-related conditions.”

The commissioner said the government had ordered three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines for installation at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri and DELSUTH, Oghara, ensuring coverage across the three senatorial districts.

“While some states do not have a single MRI machine, Delta State is procuring three at once, with delivery expected by April as site preparations are ongoing,” he said.

Onojaeme said the government was establishing a new College of Health Sciences in Ovrode, Isoko North Local Government Area, to complement the existing institution in Ofuoma and boost the training of middle-level health manpower.

“The long-abandoned Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan was nearing completion, while another Specialist Hospital was being developed in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area, modelled after the Asaba Specialist Hospital.

According to him, Delta remains the only state in the country with more than 60 functional government-owned hospitals, adding that the current administration is determined to further expand healthcare access.

On health insurance, Onojaeme said enrollment under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme had surpassed 2.78 million residents as of January 2026, making it one of the leading state-supported health insurance programmes in the country.

He explained that the scheme covered both formal and informal sector workers, while prioritising vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five and the elderly, through the Equity Health Plan.

The commissioner added that the scheme recently enrolled 10,000 widows and continues to register indigent residents across the state.

He also disclosed that the Delta State Contributory Health Commission had introduced facial recognition technology at accredited facilities to improve efficiency and transparency in service delivery.

Onojaeme reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage and delivering affordable and accessible healthcare services to residents across the state.

Niger Delta

C’River Assembly Seeks Crackdown On Drug Abuse

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State House of Assembly has urged the State Government to urgently enforce drug laws to curb the rising menace of substance abuse.

The resolution followed a matter of urgent public importance raised by Yakurr I lawmaker, Mr. Cyril Omini, during plenary in Calabar.

Omini cited a tragic incident in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, involving a 23-year-old man allegedly under the influence of drugs.

He said the suspect, Ubi Bassey, allegedly beheaded his father, Bassey Okoi, on February 2.

“Drug abuse has become widespread among youths, with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and tramadol commonly abused.

“In spite of warnings by health and government agencies, illicit drug trading and consumption persist across many communities”, Omini said.

According to him, the trend has led to early deaths and, in extreme cases, violent crimes against innocent persons.

Omini warned the incident had caused fear in Ugep, cautioning that failure to act decisively could worsen social decay.

He, however, commended the State Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Okoi Obono (rtd), for efforts to restore peace in the area.

Lawmakers called for sustained drug sensitisation, youth-focused campaigns, stronger partnerships with non-governmental organisations, and stricter enforcement against drug peddlers and users.

The Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, expressed sadness over the incident and urged prompt prosecution of the suspect to deter other youths.