Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has promised the conduct of free and fair local government election soon in the state as the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission works out modalities to ensure a successful exercise.
Governor Uduaghan who stated this Tuesday in Warri during a Phone-In Programme on Delta Broadcasting Service, Warri said that with the effective constitution of the Commission, all was now set for the conduct of the local government elections.
His word, “there have been several challenges facing the constitution of the commission. Some people went to court when the names of members of the commission were sent to the House of Assembly. Thank God, we have settled these issues and the commission is in place. I want to assure you that local government elections will soon take place as the Commission is working out modalities for its successful conduct.”
While answering a question on revenue collection, Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan directed all local government chairmen to rid all major roads and streets in the state of their illegal revenue touts within one week.
The governor who explained that he had to arrest one of such revenue touts in Uvwie Local Government Area on Monday directed the chairmen to ensure that they collect their revenues only in authorized places and not on major roads and streets as they contributed to the traffic congestion on our roads.
“Revenue collection should not be carried out along our major routes and streets because such acts cause traffic congestion for motorists. So, local government chairmen must remove all unauthorized revenue collection points from the roads within a week.”
The governor also frowned at the conversion of all junctions into taxi parks and charged the Commissioner for Transport to look at how to bring this practice to an end.
While charging motorists to ensure traffic discipline on major roads, he revealed that “plans for a BRT lane on the Warri-Effurun Road, especially the Enerhen Junction Area are already on course”, stating that “ road marshals to help free flow of vehicular movements and Environmental Marshals to effect environmental cleanliness will soon be engaged”.
On Okpanam Road drainage, Dr. Uduaghan disclosed that the phase 2 of the drainage project on both sides of the road leading to the popular post office junction in an effort to curb erosion would soon be awarded to two contractors, noting that “ with patience, most of the people’s complaints will be addressed adequately.”
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan also restated his administration’s commitment to improve on security in public schools to ensure adequate protection of government property.
He explained that some of the newly constructed and renovated public schools in the state were being vandalized and charged community leaders to help protect government facilities in their domains.
The governor observed that those vandalizing public property and passing excreta in classrooms live in the communities and charged community leaders to assist government on the area of schools’ security.
“ l am calling on community leaders to assist government on the issue of security in their areas. Some of the public schools we just built and renovated have been vandalized; this is very bad. Those vandalizing these schools and passing excreta in the classrooms are people in your communities; an outsider cannot do that.”
He said his administration was now ready to speedily develop the state for the benefit of Deltans, explaining that the previous delay in the area of development was because he was taking time to strategize and provide a lasting developmental plan for the state which would help tackle the problem of infrastructure and economic development.
Speaking further, Governor Uduaghan said the delay was also due to lack of funds but stated that most of the uncompleted projects inherited from previous administration have been completed and commended Deltans for their patience with his administration.
The governor also charged school heads to mobilize their students to clear over-grown weeds in school compounds, stating that government would not spend money to clear over-grown weeds in any public school.
He observed that the clearing of overgrown weeds in schools in the past was part of the training of students and was also used as a disciplinary method for pupils/students who misbehaved saying “in my days as a primary and secondary school student we did not only clear grass on general labour days as clean-up exercise but clearing of over-grown grass was also used as punishment.”.
Dr. Uduaghan also noted that the turnaround of public primary and secondary schools cannot affect all schools because of the huge financial overlay, assuring that his administration