DELTA State Commissioner for Housing, Chief Festus Ochonogor, has said, projects being executed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration were designed to consolidate on the stronger Delta initiative.
Speaking on Thursday after inspecting some housing projects in the state, Chief Ochonogor stated that Governor Okowa’s commitment to providing housing facilities for key government functionaries was a clear evidence that his administration is not paying lip service to sustainable development in the state.
Some of the projects inspected include, the office complex/residential apartments for the Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff; the Ecumenical Centre, and the Traditional Rulers Council in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area.
He also inspected the level of work done at Delta State Technical College, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Training College for its Inspectorate Cadre at Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state.
Ochonogor said, “we are happy with the quality of work done, structural work has been completed at the FRSC Training Centre; at the Technical College, Owa-Alero, the contractor has promised to deliver the job before December, though, his deadline for delivery is 2021.
“At the secretariat of the Traditional Rulers Council, the contractor is already carrying out landscaping and work at the Ecumenical Centre has reached an advanced stage too.
“We are happy that our Governor is delivering stronger Delta in a manner that it will stand the test of time.
“Housing is a critical sector of the economy; you cannot deliver on your assignment successfully without good accommodation, whether it is residential or office.
“For instance, the SSG’s/Chief of Staff complex; these individuals are playing critical roles in government and deserve befitting accommodation for residential and official work.
“From what we saw, there is no doubt about the commitment of our Governor to ensuring a greater future for our people; these persons will receive visitors on behalf of the state government and serious investors will rate the state based on what they see.”
He also, spoke about the significance of the projects.
According to him, “all the projects were well thought-out; the FRSC training centre is a federal institution that our Governor was able to attract based on his reach; other states could have grabbed such; our traditional rulers are contributing a lot to the development of our state, if their kingdoms are not peaceful, our Governor will be distracted and he is constructing a befitting secretariat where they can have their meetings and relax.
“Delta is a praying state and our Governor attributes his success story to God; the Ecumenical Centre is important as it will be a place for our Christian leaders to also meet regularly.
“The project inspection is continuous, though, we trust the contractors, we want to ensure that the jobs are delivered on time and to specifications.”
On how the projects were being funded despite COVID-19 challenges, Ochonogor said, “our Governor is an efficient manager of human and material resources; he has been encouraging the contractors in different ways to enable them deliver the jobs on schedule and to specifications.”
Contractors and consultants handling the different projects took the Commissioner round the sites visited.
