The Delta State Government on Thursday said 6 persons have lost their lives to rainstorm and windstorm recorded in Oko Community in Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state.

State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who confirmed the sad development at a news conference in Asaba, said 5 others who sustained various degrees of injuries were being treated at the hospital.

According to him, a collapsed structure led to the death of 6 persons, one other person is critically injured and is being attended to at the Asaba Specialist Hospital, 5 others sustained various injuries are already in stable condition.

“It is something that is quite disturbing and unfortunate. It is our prayer that God will grant the deceased eternal rest even as we pray to God to comfort the bereaved families and grant them the fortitude to bear their loss,”

In a related development, Aniagwu said a 10-year-old boy was swept away at Okotomi area of Okpanam Community in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

He said the State Government was coordinating rescue efforts to recover the boy.

The Commissioner also disclosed that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the constitution of Inauguration Committee to oversee a smooth transition to the next administration in the state.

On the falling of a petrol tanker on Udu Bridge, Aniagwu appealed to residents to be patient, saying that efforts were on to evacuate the tanker for free flow of traffic.

We’ve connected communities with roads – Okowa

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Thursday, said his administration had connected many communities in the state with roads and bridges spanning over 2,000 kilometres.

He said that the state government had also constructed drainage channels of the same magnitude as the roads in addition to storm water projects to check erosion and ensure durability and sustainability of the roads.

Okowa made this known while inaugurating Ugbolu-Akwukwu-Igbo road and Okpanam Bye-Pass, adjoining roads and discharge channels both in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.

He said that his administration had contributed to the growth of commerce in the communities due to the huge network of roads across the state, and lauded Deltans for their support and cooperation to his administration in the last eight years.

“For people who know this road as it used to be, I am sure that if you go through it now, you will find it very exciting.

“Beyond the road, there is a lot of economic impact because along this route, we have the Norsworthy farms, which is a very huge agricultural investment in oil palm.

“I believe that, that in itself is going to continually create jobs for our people, especially as the oil palm farm also has a refinery which is currently under construction,’’ he said.

The governor congratulated the communities for the infrastructure, and said “the best development you can bring to the people is to connect them to each other because it will continue to ensure growth of commerce.

“It will continue to ensure that industries are attracted as you already have one, the Norsworthy farm and Oil palm refinery already attracted along this route.

“I am glad to hear from the Commissioner for Works that they have about 58 road projects still awaiting inauguration. Of course, only a few will be inaugurated.

“But, the important thing is that a lot of roads have been paved for our people and we are happy that the people themselves continue to enjoy the connectivity between our various communities.

“Well over 2,000 kilometres of roads have been built by this administration and I know that a lot of drains to protect the roads have also been done.”

He added that his administration had done a lot in flood control measures in Asaba and Warri, and assured that the next administration would continue from where he would stop.

“We have done a lot in terms of storm water drainage but clearly within the Asaba community.

“We have not been able to complete all, especially in the Okotomi area of Okpanam, where we have not been able to get to in terms of flood control.

“But, we hope that our people will be patient with us. We will try to do the best that we can to reach all our people as much as we can and what we are not able to do, I am sure that the next administration will do that.

“The storm drainage in Asaba truly has helped a lot to control flood water in Asaba, and environs. And, I know that the one we are doing in Warri now is also nearing completion.

“We will continue to reassure our people that even as I exit from office next month, the next administration will continue with positive development of the,” Okowa stated.

Commissioner for Works, Mr Noel Omodon, said the Ugbolu-Akwukwu-Igbo Road spans 11.9km with a drainage length of 11.54km, while the Okpanam Bye-Pass comprised 4.79km Road and 12.96km drains with 13 adjoining roads.

He said the ministry had completed 58 road projects that were ready for inauguration and commended the contractors for doing a good job on the projects.

Earlier, Vice Chairman, Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Uju Okolo commended Governor Okowa for his sterling accomplishments in the development of the area and the state in general.

Okowa constitutes handover committee, says membership not appointment

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has approved the constitution of Inauguration Committee to coordinate a smooth transition to the next administration in the state.

Announcing the constitution of the Committee at a news conference in Asaba, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the Committee headed by Secretary to the State Government, Chief Patrick Ukah, has the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mr Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje, as Secretary.

He, however, stated that membership of the committee and sub-committees was not an automatic qualification for appointment into the next administration in the state, advising against “entitlement mentality” being associated with membership of the committee.

“You are very much aware that the Okowa administration is winding down and in about a month or couple of weeks, we will be heralding a new administration.

“As it is customary, we have put up a Committee to carry out a number of activities to ensure a smooth transition.

“What is trending in the Social Media is as if those who have been appointed into the main Committee and sub-committees have been given appointment in the new administration.

“We want to make it very clear that those appointed into the committees have only been asked to come and work for the purpose of seeing a smooth transition from the Okowa administration to the next administration.

“It does not mean that they are the ones that worked more than any other person. It does not also suggest that they are much more important than any other person.

“You know that if everybody who contributed to the success of the election were to be considered it means we will have a committee that will be more than a million,” he said.

Aniagwu appealed to party faithful who felt agitated for not being appointed into the committees to know that their assignment is just to midwife the process of a smooth transition.

“It doesn’t suggest that these persons who have been appointed have been automatically engaged by the new administration nor does it undermine the effort of every other person who did not see their names in the different committees.

“There are individuals who contributed very immensely to the success of the election and I can assure you that both the outgoing and incoming administrations take very serious cognisance of those efforts and in due course, the good Lord will instigate a process where they will be rewarded.

“Appointment into the Committee is just to midwife these processes that will culminate in the eventual handover to the next administration.

“So we appeal to our brothers to note that the Committee will not work in isolation and they will be reaching out to a number of people to assist them carry out the task,” he explained.

He urged Deltans to continue their support for the Okowa administration not only to May 29 but to the incoming Oborevwori administration adding that the success of Okowa will advance the state.

Eid ul Fitri: Jimoh Ibrahim congratulates Muslims

•Urges them to uphold peace, love

The Ondo South Senator-elect, and billionaire business mogul, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR has sent message of felicitations to Muslim faithful in Ondo South, Ondo State and Nigeria in general, felicitating them on the occasion of the Eid ul Fitri Celebration 2023.

Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, in a statement he personally signed and made available to the press by his Media aide, Bola Olagbegi, noted that Ramadan fasting is a significant season of piety in which the faithful penitently seek Allah’s face, living a life of discipline and abstinence from all wordly encumbrances that can distract them from focusing on the injunction of Allah, the most benevolent.

The Ondo South Senator-elect charged the Muslims not to go back on all the lessons of Ramadan and all the good virtues they have learnt during the period, adding that the Eid ul Fitri Celebration offers another special opportunity for Nigerians to pray for Nigeria particularly as the nation is preparing to transit from one civilian government to another.

“As we celebrate Eid-el-Fitri, it is my hope and prayer that the spiritual lessons of Ramadan and the Holy Prophet’s teachings of piety, love, justice, fairness, equity, peaceful co-existence with others, tolerance, honesty and dedication to duty will remain with us all for the benefit and greater glory of our dear nation.

“May the lessons and blessings of the Holy Month also permeate all national endeavors and positively influence our attitudes towards our fellow men and women, irrespective of religion or origin and promote greater commitment to the peace, unity and stability of the nation.

The Araba of Ikaleland and Founder University of Fortune, Igbotako therefore wished all Muslim faithful Eid Mubarak, while praying Allah to grant them many more years in good health to experience the Ramadan.