Governor Oborevwori Approves School Upgrades, Duplexes for Permanent Secretaries, N7bn Road Project

The Delta State Government has officially approved a comprehensive infrastructure initiative encompassing the massive rehabilitation and reconstruction of primary and secondary schools across the state, with project implementation scheduled to commence within the coming weeks.

This wide-ranging policy directive formed one of the principal resolutions adopted during Monday’s State Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

Addressing members of the press during a media briefing following the conclusion of the Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, explained that both the Ministry of Primary Education and the Ministry of Secondary Education have been formally instructed to immediately conduct comprehensive assessments of educational facilities across all 25 local government areas of the state.

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These assessments will identify specific institutions requiring either targeted rehabilitation or complete structural reconstruction.

According to the commissioner, the state-wide educational intervention is strategically aimed at providing pupils, students, and teaching personnel with significantly safer, more supportive, and highly conducive environments for teaching and learning activities.

“The governor has directed that the two ministries should immediately come up with the scope of these different schools that need to be rehabilitated or reconstructed so that government can immediately proceed to put them in order,” Aniagwu said.

Mr Aniagwu further noted that this strategic intervention forms an integral component of the current administration’s broader commitment to enhancing public infrastructure and delivering tangible, visible development projects throughout Delta State.

Welfare Initiatives for Civil Servants, Lawmakers, and Medical Staff

In a related move aimed at enhancing public sector workers’ welfare, the Executive Council also granted approval for the construction of 12 additional duplexes dedicated to Permanent Secretaries. Mr Aniagwu recalled that the Oborevwori administration recently inaugurated newly built residential quarters for Permanent Secretaries and equipped them with official vehicles.

Furthermore, the commissioner disclosed that the state government is currently formulating a structured proposal, which will subsequently be backed by legislative enactment, to enable the payment of a 13th-month salary to civil servants across the state. He characterized the proposed financial incentive as an essential token of appreciation and reward for the dedicated service of civil servants and their valuable contributions toward the ongoing growth and overall development of Delta State.

In addition to these civil service welfare measures, the State Executive Council approved the construction of additional residential quarters for members of the Delta State House of Assembly. This infrastructural decision follows the statutory expansion of state legislative constituencies from 29 to 38, an increase that will welcome nine additional lawmakers into the state legislature. Mr Aniagwu noted that Governor Oborevwori has formally directed the Ministry of Housing to immediately initiate the necessary processes to secure suitable accommodation for the incoming legislators prior to their official assumption of office.

Expanding on infrastructural approvals for the healthcare sector, Mr Aniagwu announced Council approval for the construction of 92 residential quarters designated for medical personnel at the Osubi Specialist Hospital. This residential housing project will comprise 24 dedicated units for resident doctors alongside 68 units intended for house officers. He emphasized that the housing project represents a key element of the administration’s sustained efforts to enhance healthcare worker welfare and establish vastly improved working conditions at the medical facility.

Major Road Construction, Flood Control, and Contract Terminations

Turning to critical transport infrastructure, Mr Aniagwu announced that the Executive Council approved the extensive reconstruction of the 9.35-kilometre Ezhionum–Ogume Road at an estimated cost exceeding N7 billion. He explained that this major road project is designed to open up rural communities, significantly enhance inter-community connectivity, and stimulate local economic activities throughout the immediate area.

The Council also approved several other vital road infrastructure projects, including:

• The reconstruction of the Uba Egbelemeji–Ugbenikoko Road located in Warri North;
• The complete rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Mosogar Community Road Junction–Okwueka Road; and
• The reconstruction of the Old Oviorie–Agbarho–Eku Road.

To decisively address recurring flooding challenges around the Specialist Hospital in Asaba, the Council, according to Mr Aniagwu, approved the completion of the comprehensive storm drainage project servicing the immediate perimeter of the facility. Concurrently, the state government approved the reconstruction of internal access roads situated within Warri Central Hospital, a measure designed to dramatically streamline access and movement for patients, healthcare personnel, and visiting members of the public.

During the briefing, Mr Aniagwu revealed that the Executive Council took decisive action by approving the immediate termination of several public sector contracts on account of unsatisfactory performance. He clarified that these specific contract cancellations were executed following explicit recommendations presented by the State Tenders Board after the affected contractors consistently failed to deliver assigned projects within the stipulated timelines and expected execution pace.

The projects affected by the contract terminations include:

• The Okerenkoko Township Road project;
• The construction of Adjei Street and School Road with interlocking stones at a new layout in Warri South; and
• The permanent office complex project for the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC).

Mr Aniagwu explained that these contract terminations would clear the way for the state government to launch fresh procurement processes and subsequently re-award the projects to reliable contractors possessing the requisite capacity to deliver them successfully.

He underscored that these firm administrative decisions highlight the Oborevwori administration’s determination to guarantee the timely completion of public infrastructure projects while ensuring that taxpayers’ money is never tied down in abandoned or poorly executed projects.

In summary, Mr Aniagwu listed the extensive school rehabilitation programme, the additional residential accommodation for Permanent Secretaries, the new lawmakers’ quarters, the healthcare housing project, and the major road construction initiatives among the principal, far-reaching decisions authorized at the Executive Council meeting.