Follow Us on Google
From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
Delta State Government has reiterated its commitment to partnering with President Bola Tinubu’s administration to advance the state’s development.
The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, at a news conference in Asaba, yesterday, said the state government was keen on strengthening its relationship with federal bodies, from the Presidency to various government agencies.
The state government, he said, has already begun reaping benefits from this partnership, as evidenced by the recent concessioning of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway with dual carriage. This project is expected to ease transportation along the corridor. Additionally, the Federal Government has commenced the construction of a 17.5km alignment to link up the Second Niger bridge from Issele-Azagba, which the state government has pledged to support, he said.
“We will continue to smoothen our relationship with federal bodies starting from the Presidency to all other agencies of government all with a view to ensuring that our state benefit maximally from whatever it is that we can get so that at the end of the day we are able to make life much more meaningful for our people.
“Our state has started reaping from that relationship because on Sunday, we joined the federal government for the concessioning of the Benin – Onitsha Expressway with dual carriage.
“That is going to ease off transportation along that corridor and we very much support it.
“We also support that initiative of the federal government and as a government and administration we wholeheartedly welcome the idea so that that road will become much more motorable in the course of time.
“On Monday you also saw the Minister of Works, David Umahi as well as our own governor who represented the President
still on the line of the cordial relationship that we maintain with the federal government.
“We have made it very clear over time that at the moment we have one President and we will continue to cooperate with that President for the purpose of ensuring that our country functions effectively.
“If there is trouble at the center or in any of the component states, of course you do know that it will hamper development and we do not wish that development is hampered in any part of our country, let alone the entire federation, which today is presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“That relationship has ensured that the Federal government proceeds to complete the construction of the 17.5km alignment to link up the Second Niger bridge from Issele-Azagba.
Other News
“As a state, we welcome it wholeheartedly, our governor who represented the President at that function has pledged that as a state we will cooperate and support every effort by the federal government to ensure that that particular construction is completed.
“At that ceremony, you saw the Minister of Works, David Umahi acknowledging that our governor has been quite exemplary in giving out the dividends of democracy by way of infrastructure enhancement and human capital development.
“Governor Oborevwori has given vent to section 14 subsection 2 paragraph b of the 1999 constitution which states inter alia that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government.
“At that moment you could see a convergence of fairness in that assessment and we appreciate the Minister and Mr President for what he is doing in our own dear state and we also look forward to having more of such projects in the course of time.”
On the viral video, the commissioner clarified that it misrepresented the events surrounding Senator Oluremi Tinubu to the state. The video showed some nursing students expressing disappointment over the distribution of medical kits, which were primarily targeted at midwives. However, the Commissioner emphasised that the nurses’ reaction was not hostile or bullying, but rather an expression of their feelings.
He said the state government expressed its appreciation for the First Lady’s visit and initiatives, which included the distribution of over 10,000 medical kits to six states in the South-South region.
“A viral video recently surfaced regarding the visit of the President’s wife. Let me state categorically that the First Lady didn’t visit the school of nursing in Agbor. She observed that the nurses present at the event had some expectations regarding the distribution of the medical kits. She apologised to the nurses during the presentation. The apology was made because the current phase of donations and support was specifically targeted at midwives.
“She assured nurses that they would receive their turn in due time through the Renewed Hope Initiative. However, some nurses, who had expected equal treatment alongside midwives, were understandably disappointed.
“Despite this disappointment, there was no incident of hostility or bullying during the visit. Initially, the nurses were welcoming and happy and danced even as they cheered the first lady in the course of her speech, but a few of them playfully expressed their feelings by singing a different tune in response to the situation.
“This reaction was taken out of context by some individuals on social media, who misrepresented the events to fit their own narratives. The viral video, therefore, does not reflect the atmosphere and what truly transpired at the gathering.
“As a government we express our profound appreciation for the First Lady’s visit and her initiatives. We emphasized that the reaction seen in the video was not characteristic of our nurses, but rather a few individuals wishing for equal treatment with midwives.”
The government reaffirmed its commitment to good governance and improving the lives of its citizens through the MORE Agenda as well as appreciating the First Lady’s continued support while dismissing the misleading narratives circulating on social media.
“So we needed to clarify the situation, we once again express our gratitude to the President, his wife, and supportive Nigerians, and emphasize our commitment to good governance in Delta with a view to improving the lives of the people through the MORE Agenda.”
