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Inflation: Delta To Review Contract Values Upward

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4 years ago

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Delta State governor and Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that due to rising prices, it has become inevitable for government to review the value of contracts upward.
Okowa, who stated this during an interview with newsmen at Isheagu, said the inflationary trend informed the need for the recent review of costs of some ongoing projects in the State.
The governor, after inspecting ongoing construction of Isheagu-Ewulu road and bridge in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the State, said current economic indices in the country had taken negative tolls on every segment of activities and therefore, made review of the contracts’ values inevitable.
He said the road and bridge when completed, would serve two major agrarian communities of Isheagu and Ewulu.
The contract for the project, he said, was awarded in January 2021 and would be completed in December 2022, adding that 4.7-kilometre Isheagu section was already reconstructed.
He also said that from the bridge to Ewulu, another fresh section of 4.4 kilometres of road would be constructed.
“With what is going on in Nigeria now, the inflation rate is very high and it is affecting every other thing, particularly construction of infrastructure.
“Most of our contractors are actually struggling, so we had no option than to review the rate because inflation has risen as much as 18.6 per cent and that is actually affecting every aspect of life of the people.
“As regards the cost of construction, the high cost of diesel at the moment, asphalt, has also gone suddenly very high and of course, to drive most of the motorised equipment you require for construction work, you need a lot of diesel.
“The cost of rod has also gone up and it’s going up by the day. Unfortunately, beyond the global tendencies of Russia-Ukraine war, which has also devalued our Naira, making it to depreciate on daily basis, and this goes a long way to affect the original cost of contracts,” he said.
Okowa, who was conducted round the project by the Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Mr Noel Omodon, explained that government was left with no option than to review the cost of the projects to ensure their timely completion amid biting inflation.
“Having looked at everything, we needed to save the budget and the earlier we find a pathway to completing the projects the better. Otherwise, the escalation continues even more on a daily basis.
“So, it’s quite difficult and we wished we didn’t get into the kind of difficulties we are into, but we have no choice.
“We have started the projects and we have to complete them, otherwise the contractors will move out of site and when they move out, to remobilise is at a higher cost and we don’t want to go through that route at all.
“It’s a very unfortunate situation we find ourselves; it distorts our budgeting and we just hope that we are able to continue realigning our budget to keep pace with the construction that we are undergoing.
“Beyond having the infrastructure in place, it also creates jobs for our young ones and we cannot afford to have the contractors move out of site because it will mean that you are going to take food off the table of families, which is also not good for us.
“I have been informed that the project would be completed by the end of December.
“From what we are seeing, life is coming back to Isheagu from the excitement on the faces of the people because the road would help them to evacuate their farm produce,” Okowa said.
The Governor also inspected ongoing works at the Sector C1 of the Ughelli-Asaba Road by Obo River, where the contractor said the bridge construction would be completed in October while the road would be ready in December.

 

 

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Niger Delta

C’River Bans VIOs From Road Operations 

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5 days ago

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March 9, 2026

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The Cross River State Government has banned the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from road operations across the state.
The State Governor, Bassey Out, who made the announcement in Calabar on Saturday, restricted activities of the VIO to office duties.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,  Mr. Linus  Obogo, the directive followed protests by commercial bus drivers and tricycle operators over high tickets, excessive fines and alleged harassment by enforcement teams.
The Governor, who made other announcements in the sector, said the measures were approved after a meeting with key transport stakeholders.
According to the statement, other announcements made was the reduction of daily ticket fee from N850 to N500,  while the penalty for failure to purchase the ticket had also been reduced to N10,000.
“All traffic-related fines be slashed by 50 per cent and must be paid only into designated Cross River State Government accounts.
“Daily ticket for tricycle riders have been reduced from N1,200 to N500. However, every activity of commercial tricycle operators ends at 6 p.m. daily, night operations are permanently banned,” Otu asserted.
He said the review was aimed to ease the burden on drivers and restore order in the state’s transport system.
Speaking further, the Governor said the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA) would now focus on vehicle registration and sale of tickets at approved rates.
He noted that enforcement officers must operate only in proper uniforms and with verifiable identification.
He directed the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) to restrict its activities to statutory traffic management duties.
In addition, the Governor announced that “commercial bus drivers and tricycle riders will no longer purchase tickets on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
“These directives will take effect from March 9, and I urge all residents and transport operators to cooperate with relevant authorities.”
Speaking to The Tide’s source, some commercial drivers said the statement did not address some activities of TRAMRA such as the illegal “no parking order” for drivers who only pick and drop passengers.
For Johnson Ade, a commercial driver,  there should be an official release stating the traffic infractions in the state and the fine for each of them.
He said slashing the fines by 50 per cent was ambiguous, adding that the amounts to be paid for each crime should be clearly stated to prevent criminal elements who posed as government traffic regulatory officials from abusing the directive.
On his part, Mr. Sunday Dennis, Metropolitan Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), said they would convene a meeting immediately to critically look at the governor’s statement.
It would be recalled that series of protests by commercial bus drivers and tricycle operators had led to the suspension of all forms of  transport tickets in the state by the government.
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Niger Delta

A’Ibom Community Seeks Govt Recognition For Elected Village Head

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5 days ago

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March 9, 2026

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Some indigenes of Mbiabong Ikpe Village, in Ikpe Annang Clan, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have called on the State Government to recognize Chief Samuel James Udo as the authentic Village Head of the community by according him a Certificate of Recognition.
According to them, the call is necessitated by the fact that Chief Udo has won the first and second election processes on 1st May, 2021 and 15th July 2025.
The indigenes said in addition to his emergence after the two election processes, Chief Udo’s emergence has been confirmed by Chief Akpan Akpa Inyang (Okuku Ikpa Isong Annang), who has handed him (Udo) to “UDAK” as stipulated by the custom and tradition of Annang Land.
They said Udo’s emergence marked the end of every struggle by individuals or groups of persons on the issue of headship of Mbiabong Ikpe Village, Ikpe Annang Land, in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
According to them, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Frank Archibong, should call for the recognition of the Village Head-elect of Mbiabong Ikpe Village in accordance with the Traditional Rulers Council Law of Akwa Ibom State, CAP 134.
This, they said, is because he has been duly and rightly selected by the kingmakers as the village Head-elect and have satisfied all requirements in the extant law for the said selection.
“We are informing the Akwa Ibom State Government of the development, because any imposition of any other name to the Governor will not be accepted by the community”, they said.
Meanwhile, they have alleged that some “enemies of progress are causing problem over the Chieftaincy issue after the winner has emerged and accepted by the entire Kingmakers.”
When contacted the Village Head-elect, Chief Samuel James Udo, advised the people not to cause any crises, saying that their mandate will not be denied.
“I will continue to respect the law. My people are law abiding citizens and God will surely stand for true justice and the certificate will be given to me, not through fighting, causing unrest, or violence, but by our faith in God, and the belief that the relevant authorities will do the needful”, he said.
By: Christopher Tom, Uyo
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Niger Delta

Delta Unveils World Book Day Festival

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5 days ago

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March 9, 2026

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The Delta State government on Saturday unveiled the LightRay! Distortion World Book Day Festival.
The festival, themed “That Which Bends, Transcends,” is a major celebration of literature, storytelling, and cultural advocacy in the state.
It was unveiled at the office of the Head of Service, Mrs. Mininim Oseji, in Asaba.
The event was organised by LightRay! Media, in partnership with the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) and Unchained Vibes Africa.
Founder and President of the media group, Ejiro Umukoro, described the event as the first large-scale literary festival in the state.
She explained that the initiative aims to engage both marginalised and privileged communities in dialogue on resilience, hope, and social change through literature.
Highlighting the transformative power of storytelling, Umukoro said literature can inspire action, reshape perspectives, and drive social change within communities.
According to her, the festival builds on the impact of the Distortion novel series produced by LightRay! Media, which explores themes of human resilience, personal agency, and renewal.
She noted that the book has supported social awareness campaigns and legislative advocacy, contributing to the abolition of the Osu caste system in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo.
“The novel has also received literary recognition, including the TYB Young Adult Literature Prize in 2024,” she added.
Umukoro further revealed that the Delta Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has approved Distortion as a recommended literature text for students.
She expressed concern over the poor condition of public libraries across the state, noting that many remain inactive or non-functional.
”Urban libraries also struggle with outdated collections, inadequate infrastructure, and limited professional staffing”, she said.
Umukoro urged stakeholders to rebuild libraries, strengthen reading communities, and equip facilities with modern learning resources.
“The three-month festival will feature competitions, workshops, creative showcases, and professional development programmes, Umukoro said.
The Permanent Secretary in the office of the Head of Service, Mr. Wilson Chukwuka, commended the initiative.
The leader of the National Association of Seadogs, Mr. Michael Nwaidei, said the project aligns with efforts to encourage critical thinking and knowledge acquisition among young people.
Nwaidei was represented by a member of the association, Mr. Uche Egbuche.
The Tide’s source reports that guests, educators, creatives, and literary enthusiasts from across the state and diaspora communities attended the festival.
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