From Paul Osuyi, Asaba 
Delta State Government said it had committed over N600 billion to 798 road projects with a total length of 1,811.4km and 977.84km of drains construction in the past seven years.
The government said the roads, drains and other infrastructure projects were visible and impacting positively on the lives of residents, contrary to the claims by the main opposition, All Progressive Congress (APC) that nothing was ground to justify the allocation the state has received since 2015.
Governorship candidate of the APC and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege had through his spokesman, Ima Niboro, claimed that Delta State has received over N770 billion without visible developments.
Reacting to the allegation, Manager, Communications, Government House, Asaba, Jackson Ekwugum, said it was not only an unfounded and unguarded statement but pitiful, premature and shameful.
Ekwugum said Delta State, under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, “has reached new heights of fiscal discipline, infrastructural development, and human capital development.”
Ekwugum listed the various road and drainage projects and other public infrastructure across the 25 local government areas of the state, which according to him, have boost socio-economic activities of the people.
He added that Okowa’s intervention in the hitherto downgraded Asaba Airport, has led to it’s upgrade to Category 6 Airport enabling it to handle large aircraft.
According to him, over 120,000 entrepreneurs have been created in their choice enterprises through various skill acquisition programmes, adding that in the health sector, 1,130,884 enrollees have been recorded in Delta State Contributory Health Commission which was established in 2016 when the state became the first to launch the Universal Health Coverage.
He said the administration rehabilitated five moribund technical colleges and established ten new ones, while also investing in primary and secondary education 8,617 classroom blocks, built 17 new primary and 45 secondary schools.
Ekwugum added that three universities were recently created with the upgrade of existing institutions to broaden access to university education.
“These are just few highlights of the record-breaking achievements of the Okowa administration in building a Stronger Delta standing on the tripod of Prosperity, Peace, and Progress.
“Senator Omo-Agege needs to be reminded that it took money to get these projects done. It is either he is not seeing clearly, or he is suffering from amnesia for him not to have noticed all the infrastructural developments in the state, including those in Delta Central such as the Effurun Otor Owor Bridge, Ughelli, new Sapele Road, and the Agbarho Orherhe road, among many others.
“Indeed, Omo-Agege’s criticism of ‘successive administrations’ of the PDP in Delta State suggests the latter to be the case.
“Apparently, he has forgotten that he served in various capacities under the James Ibori administration as Special Assistant, Executive Assistant, Commissioner and Secretary to the State Government.
“Omo-Agege is best advised to concentrate on his doomed governorship ambition instead of trying to throw stones at Governor Okowa whose enviable place in history is already guaranteed,” he added.