Delta will keep fixing federal roads, says commissioner Aniagwu

Delta condemns Asaba violence as Aniagwu vows continued road fixes

Delta State will keep stepping in to rehabilitate critical federal roads running through its territory, the state’s commissioner for works (rural roads) and public information has said, while rejecting any characterisation of recent political violence in Asaba as a routine clash between rival supporters.

Charles Aniagwu, who appeared on TVC’s “Politics Tonight”, said the interventions were meant to make transportation easier, support commerce and improve the movement of agricultural produce.

He argued that good roads do not by themselves put food on tables, but that sound infrastructure is what allows agricultural production to increase, trade to improve and markets to become easier to reach.

Roads, he continued, connect where goods are produced with where they are consumed, which helps farmers get their harvests out and lets businesses move their goods.

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While conceding that the country’s infrastructure problems are real, Aniagwu said both tiers of government were working to resolve them.

He held up the Abuja-Kaduna road as an example, saying he had seen the Federal Government working to restore that corridor with concrete rigid pavement.

Cooperation with the Federal Government on access to the Second Niger Bridge was another case in point, he said, noting that Delta had helped with compensation payments running into billions of naira for the connecting bypass.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, he said, had left no doubt that the state would not stand by while critical federal roads on its soil went bad.

Among the state’s interventions, he listed concrete pavement work on the Benin-Warri corridor at Effurun and a prompt response to a problematic stretch of the East-West Road, which he said was fixed within 48 hours.

Aniagwu on Asaba violence and the investigation

On the recent political violence in Asaba, in which one person was reportedly killed and five others injured, the commissioner rejected any attempt to present the incident as an ordinary clash between political supporters.

He alleged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was involved in the violence, which occurred at a rally held against police advice on the need to secure an appropriate venue.

According to him, video recordings of the incident showed some individuals allegedly urging others to attack and kill.

He said he was also worried by remarks attributed to a political leader suggesting that people would die if elections were rigged.

Aniagwu stressed that no form of political intimidation or violence had the backing of the Oborevwori administration, regardless of the party affiliations of those involved.

The governor, he said, had ordered security agencies to carry out an impartial investigation and to ensure that everyone connected with the incident was brought to justice, including those who allegedly instigated or carried out the attack.

He maintained that politics should play no part in the investigation, adding that those responsible must face the law.

He also referred to reports that some suspects had been arrested and allegedly confessed to taking part in the killing, and urged security agencies to pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion.

Elections 2027, welfare and social investment

Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Aniagwu said the governor and the Delta State APC Campaign Council had agreed to centre their campaign on issues, governance and the administration’s performance.

Oborevwori, he said, had consistently urged political supporters to avoid attacking opponents and to present the achievements of the administration to the electorate instead.

The governor, he added, believes the government’s record in infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing, public service reforms and social investment offers enough material for political engagement.

“Even if Oborevwori starts commissioning projects every day from today, he will not have enough time to commission all the projects his administration has executed,” Aniagwu said.

He threw a challenge to opposition parties to name any local government area in the state, saying the administration’s projects and interventions could be seen across the various communities.

Aniagwu also said the state was preparing to empower 15,000 indigent Deltans under its social investment programme, with beneficiaries to be sorted carefully to ensure that the support reaches genuine business owners and operators of micro-enterprises.

A verification mechanism would be introduced, he explained, to stop funds from being diverted and to make sure that only qualified beneficiaries received the support.

Aniagwu also addressed workers’ welfare and the controversy over the administration’s appeal to civil servants for political support, defending the government’s record and arguing that the welfare of workers should be measured by concrete policies and actions rather than by isolated statements.

Promotions, regard for seniority in appointments, better welfare provisions and other interventions, he said, showed the administration’s commitment to public servants.

The commissioner also defended the governor’s request that workers reciprocate the government’s efforts, calling it an expression of confidence that those who benefit from good governance would appreciate the administration’s performance.

He added that differences of political opinion should never be treated as a justification for violence or intimidation, and that disagreements must be resolved within the framework of the law.

The administration, he said, would stay committed to peaceful political engagement and would keep relying on its performance to seek the support of Deltans in 2027.