By Nelson Egware
ON May 29, 2023, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori was sworn in as 5th elected Governor of Delta State.
In keeping with his M.O.R.E agenda, which means Meaningful development; Opportunity for all; Realistic reforms and Enhanced peace and security, Oborevwori has demonstrated that he was amply prepared to advance Delta State by hitting the ground running.
So far, he has taken the gauntlet and immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, his predecessor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, came calling for the official handover, which was preceded by the former praying for the incumbent to succeed in his new assignment.
Immediately after his inauguration, Oborevwori named veteran journalist and Vanguard newspaper’s Delta State Correspondent, Mr, Festus Ahon, as his Chief Press Secretary.
Few days later, he also approved the appointment of Dr. Kingsley Emu, a Harvard-trained economist and banker, as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), with a former deputy majority leader of the state House Assembly, Hon. Prince Johnson Erijo, as Chief of Staff and former senator representing Delta Central district and erstwhile managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, as Senior Political Adviser.
While swearing in the SSG and Senior Political Adviser, Oborevwori restated his firm belief in the unity of the state and determination to resist all forms of sectionalism and nepotism in the discharge of his statutory responsibilities.
Congratulating the appointees on their “well-deserved appointments,” he urged them to key into the M.O.R.E. agenda of his administration towards sustained infrastructural renewal, human capital development and social investment programmes.
He reassured on his promise to run an all-inclusive government, but stressed that “capacity and merit” would form the basis of political appointments under his watch. The governor warned political appointees in his administration against ethnic politics and sectionalism, but to regard the entire state as their constituency by being fair and just to all citizens of the state.
The following day, he appointed son of late Senator Patrick Osakwe, Hon. Christopher Osakwe, a former chairman of Ndokwa West Local Council, as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme.
Oborevwori, an apostle and crusader for equity and fairness, has so far balanced his appointments, as all the appointees cut across the three senatorial districts in the state.
On his first official working day, the governor met with the State Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Reginald Bayoko, permanent secretaries and heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies in the state, where he unfolded his vision to the bureaucrats. The meeting, which was held at the Exco Chambers, Government House, Asaba, was attended by the Deputy Governor, Onyeme.
Addressing Government House correspondents shortly afterwards, Bayoko said the meeting provided a veritable platform for the governor to formally outline his vision to the bureaucrats.
The HoS said the governor charged the entire civil servants in the state to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and as civil servants who are at the front line of delivering services and implementing the government’s agenda, they should be up and doing in the discharge of their services to the state.
Bayoko further disclosed that Oborevwori recounted his promise to the electorate and told them that the state needs to feel his impact, as his four-year first term had started counting. “On our part, we promised to give him the full support to deliver on his mandate to the citizens.”
Oborevwori also attended a grand reception in honour of his predecessor on Saturday, June 3, where he reassured that his administration would be fair, just and equitable to all parts of the state, in terms of projects and appointments.
He commended the Ika nation for organising the reception in honour of the former governor and pledged to carry out his task as governor with the fear of God.
The governor right there at the ceremony, approved the renaming of the Old Lagos-Asaba road cutting across Ika North East and Ika South Local Councils after Okowa, as requested by the Council Chairmen, Hon. Victor Ebonka and Hon. Sunny Tatabuzuogu.
The Oborevwori, who returned home for the first time since becoming governor, on Sunday, attended a church service at the Living Faith Church, Effurun, where he thanked the church for their prayers and support and promised to be a servant-leader, with the fear of God, in living up to the expectations of the electorate who trusted him with their votes.
On his way back to Asaba in the morning of Monday, June 5, Oborevwori seized the opportunity to carry out inspection works on the ongoing construction of the Sector ‘A’ and Sector ‘C’ of the Ughelli-Asaba dualisation project, where he promised to continue funding ongoing projects to ensure their early completion.
He stated that the road was very important to all Deltans, because it leads to Asaba, the state capital, and the Southeast, urging the contractors to show more commitment, as government was willing to meet their obligations as they fall due.
The first one week of Governor Oborevwori has been remarkable, and we look forward to greater days and years ahead of him as he soldiers on to deliver on his M.O.R.E. agenda aimed at advancing Delta.
