Renewed Hope For Warri/Uvwie as Delta’s Economic Nerve Centre (FEATURES)

By Stella Odika.

The Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori led administration is indisputably set to revive and restore the lost glory of the twin cities of Warri and Uvwie through the Warri/Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA), an interventionist Agency saddled with the responsibility of bringing integrated development to the oil-rich cities.

A wise man once said “In life one is either pursuing a vision, going on a mission or burning with a passion, else life remains a burden.” there is no doubt, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is not only a man pursuing a vision of bringing meaningful development to the twin cities, but on a mission to restore the cities to her rightful position as the economic hub of the State and a burning passion to attract investors for social economic development of the area.

The undaunted Governor who is clearly optimistic in actualizing his vision for the area has placed the Leadership of WUEDA through which he would cause a massive developmental change on the shoulders of a great man of inestimable value, a leader per excellence, a goal getter, a strategist, people-oriented, skilled Engineer, and an eminent Prince from Okpe Kingdom in Okpe LGA, Delta State, Nigeria, Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere as the Director General (DG) of the Agency. Hon. Ejinyere being the Governor’s choice to pilot the affairs of WUEDA is not far-fetched as he is a man who has held key positions in the corridors of power in the State and has acquired quite a robust wealth of experience both in the private and public sector.

He was a former Chairman, Okpe local Government Area, the immediate past Executive Assistance to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Project Monitoring, the Duke of Orerokpe District, an erudit Engineer, notable product of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), a royal and a noble man with great insight, a philanthropist, and one with an incredible professional experience from Chevron Nig. LTD for almost two decades, little wonder he was chosen by the Governor to spearhead the affairs of the Agency.

Affirmingly, as the man on the driver’s seat of the Agency, he has assured the people categorically that he is not here to play politics, that his task is clear and simple, to restore orderliness, cleanliness and development to Warri, Uvwie and its environs, and in proving his commitment to his task, he has through the Agency partnered with major radio/TV stations in the city within a very short space of time upon his resumption of office.

As a man who understands the significance of awarenesses creation, he has placed jingles on several Radio/TV stations in the area to enlighten the people on the need to keep their environment clean, maintain as well as “own” government project executed in the area and to be aware of the responsibilities of the Agency, in order not to fall victim when taskforce are finally put in place to handle defaulters.

As a very proactive leader who obviously understands the words of a Leadership expert, Dr. John C. Maxwell, who says “A leaders first responsibility is to define his reality”. Hon. Ejinyere understanding this fact and knowing quite well that for him to define his reality he must engage the people, has taken a pragmatic step by visiting critical stakeholders in the area such as the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, the Olu of Warri, Uvwie Local Government Chairman, Okpe Local Government Chairman, Warri South Local Government Chairman, Area Command, Warri and the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Army Barrack, Effurun, to liaise and inform them on the activities and responsibilities of the Agency.

“Thank God the Governor hails from this part of the State and he is very desirous to see that Warri, Uvwie metropolis is given the long awaited facelift; the entire area is defaced due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse, blocking of the drains which leads to flooding over the years. So we are partnering with relevant authorities in ensuring that the Governor achieves his desire for the area” the DG asserted.

Assuredly, the two major Contractors, Levant Construction Ltd and CCECC handling the phase I and phase II of the Storm Water Project being supervised by the Agency were doing a great job which the Director General has attested to in the course of his inspections to the sites.

More so, under the supervision of the Agency, the total numbers of twelve (12) projects of roads constructions and rehabilitations has been executed in the area, such as Construction of Matthew Ikperikpe close in Ekpan, Uvwie LGA, Construction of Mbamalu Street off Jakpa Road in Uvwie LGA, Construction of Ekaye Street and Ovedje Close, Okumagba Layout in Warri South LGA, Construction of   Ogunu (Agogo) Community main Road and internal Roads in Ogunu Community, Warri South LGA, Construction of Atse Olu Community Roads (Phase I), Warri South LGA, Construction of Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon close off NNPC Housing Complex Road, Ekpan, Uvwie LGA, Rehabilitation/Asphalt Overlay of Apala Road, Okumagba Layout in Warri South LGA, Rehabilitation of First Marine Gate Road in Warri South LGA, to mentioned just a few.

Subsequently, outside the massive drains and construction of roads being done in the mandated area of the Agency, the Director General of the Agency is out to improve on the environment and positively change the mindset of the people by reawakening their consciousness towards the need for maintaining a clean environment to help restore the lost glory of Warri, Uvwie and Environs and uphold her position as the commercial capital of the State.

Ultimately, the Ejinyere-led Agency’s activities will obviously impact on the environment in terms of cleanliness, and this will reduced alot of health related issues in the area.

Undoubtedly, Warri-Uvwie and Environs had experienced  infrastructural neglect since the relocation of some of the multinational companies to Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other States of the Federation, however, there is a clear signal of light at the end of the tunnel since the resumption of Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere as the Director General. The people are beginning to have a renewed hope to behold a new Warri, reflecting back to the good old days of night life in the 70s, 80s and even early part of 90s, as the words of the DG were very reassuring to them when he was heard speaking and reaching out to the people on radio/Television sensitizing them on the objectives of the Agency.

According to the DG who is deeply enthusiastic in changing the orientation of the people to fit into the new realities, he said the Agency was established by the Delta State Government with the mandate to comprehensively develop Warri, Uvwie and Environs to make the City a beauty to behold.

While commending the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for his strong desire to develop the twin cities in every aspect, he said residents should stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains to prevent flood disasters and stop illegal motor and keke parks for easy flow of traffic in the metropolis in order to catch up with the standard of other cities like Abuja, Calabar, Lagos, Uyo among others.

The DG’s strategic visits to critical stakeholders and the Agency’s jingles currently aired on several radio stations and TV have so far started yielding positive response from the public, as they have started having a fresh hope of expectation for a new oil city to come. Alot of them said hearing on radio what the Agency is set to do in the coming days is truly heart warming, coupled with the three major flyovers, a cloverleaf, pedestrian bridges and ancillary road expansion projects that has commenced already in the mandate area of the Agency by construction giant, Julius Berger.

They expressed their joy and appreciation to the Governor, saying they cannot wait to see the long anticipated environmental change as well as infrastructural development in the area. Apparently, WUEDA under the watch of Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere will evidently create a positive impact, not just in the present state of the economic nerve centre of the oil-rich State, but also for posterity to come.

-Stella Odika is a Public Relations Officer, Warri/Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, (WUEDA).