SUNDAY EGEDE/AUSTIN OYIBODE

Delta  State Government has re-energized and strengthened its bureaucratic institutions in its drive to entrench an enduring legacy of sustainable socio-economic, infrastructural and human capital development in the state, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, has said.
Macaulay who disclosed this yesterday while flagging off the ministerial press briefing on the mid-term reports of the activities of his office in Asaba, said the state government was irrevocably committed to the attainment of its defined goals as contained in the three-point agenda of the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan administration.
He said that it has become necessary for government to monitor the activities of departments with responsibilities of project execution in order to enhance service delivery to Deltans.
He disclosed that the office of the SSG plays a vital role in assisting, guiding and moderating the activities of government ministries, departments and agencies while, also, ensuring that the policies and programmes of the state government were executed and implemented for the benefit of the citizens.
“While playing this role as the clearing house of government, we have, also, ensured that policies and programmes are not only clearly understood, but also, effectively and correctly implemented”, he added.
Macaulay explained that he has continued to carry out the obligations entrusted to his office by ensuring effective and efficient realization of the goals and objectives of the state government by issuing from time to time, notices of policy decisions on programmes of government; taking responsibility for efficient performance of the cabinet secretariat; promptly attending to all appeals, petitions and reports, and integrating new political appointees into their new work environment among others.
The SSG further said that the state Security Council, through its weekly meetings has mediated and resolved many ethnic disputes which hitherto threatened the peace and security in the state, adding that it had waded into the recent hostility between the Itsekiris and Ijaws in Warri North local government with a view to forestalling the escalation of crises.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah Esq had said that the press briefing was to showcase what the state government was doing vis-à-vis the delivery of democracy dividends, adding as the man coordinating the activities of government; it became expedient for the SSG to kickstart the press briefing.
Ogeah noted that government was not a secret cult and as such its activities must be made known to the people, adding that the state government was domesticating the Freedom of Information bill even as he charged journalists in the state to eschew bitterness and rancour by being their brothers’ keepers.
The ceremony which featured question and answer session was attended by the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Patrick Ferife; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Sir Austin Mowah; Permanent Secretary in the office of the SSG, Mr. Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje, Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, Mr. Anthony Obuh; Director of Information, Mr. Paul Osahor; the General Manager of The POINTER newspaper, Mr. Bosah Iwobi and his DBS counterpart, and Barr. Albert Oshogbor among others.