By Felix Ofou
Beyond road infrastructure, flyovers and bridges, Delta State, under the watchful eyes of the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has recorded significant milestones in other areas. This has made life easier for the citizens even as the state is ranked as the second best governed in Nigeria by the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) based in the UK.
Whereas some would rather believe that Oborevwori has excelled in turning the state into a huge construction site, those same people think that is all there is to what is happening in Delta. Obviously, such critics only view Delta from a very narrow prism. They choose to ignore the big picture.
Indeed, so much has happened since Governor Oborevwori took over the reins of office on May 29, 2023. He has rewritten the economic template and turned Delta to one of the fifth largest in Nigeria, while reducing the state’s debt burden from N465 billion to less than N150 billion in three years of assuming office.
Granted that the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government in June 2023 helped buoy the financial increase witnessed under Oborevwori, it must be acknowledged that he also created an enabling environment to make such a rejuvenation possible. Relative peace and security, especially in the oil rich communities, fiscal discipline and prudence as well as a rigid resolve not to borrow from the banks cascaded the state to unprecedented boom.
But, beyond the statistics are the direct gains and improvement in the life of the citizenry. There are a motley of schemes propelled by the MORE Agenda of the Oborevwori administration which impact positively on the lives of the people. From pregnant women to infants, students and youths, farmers and artisans, senior citizens and widows, there is hardly any category of persons that are not captured in the plan. Delta is bullish about the welfare of the people.
Let’s take a look at the health sector where for the first time, Delta is set to have a Neuropsychiatric facility, public health laboratory aside CT scans, MRI scans and a radiology lab already working in parts of the state. Oborevwori has made these facilities available in hospitals in Oghara, Warri, Osubi, Agbor and Asaba.
These multi billion naira medical equipment were purchased and installed to make top quality healthcare accessible at affordable cost to the public. Beginning from next year, Deltans no longer have to go to neighboring states for medical emergencies and specialist attention as was the case during the Covid pandemic.