In this interview with the Commissioner representing Ethiope West, Sapele and Okpe local government areas on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Chief Henry Ofa, with journalists, including Special Correspondent, Sam Akadoro at Ogharefe, the administrative headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Council, he speaks on his achievements since he assumed office. He lists the projects he has executed in his mandate areas. He tells the people that better days are ahead and appeals to the people to judge him on the numbers of projects he has attracted to their areas and not on the number of contracts he has awarded to people, saying everyone cannot get contracts at the same time.
How much of the 2014 budget of the commission would you say has been executed in your mandate areas?
So far, so good, the commission is working and to the best of my knowledge and with respect to my mandate area, I would like to restrict myself to Ethiope West, Sapele and Okpe local government areas. I think we have executed so far about 75 per cent of the projects earmarked for the 2014 projects. Some of the projects have been completed and commissioned: the water project in Ovwore community has been commissioned; the Jakpa/Elume water project has been commissioned. the one at Assemblies of God Convention Centre, Sapele, has been commissioned too. The one at Ovade New site in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area has been commissioned, just as the solar water project in Otefe Oghara has been completed and awaiting commissioning. So, in the area of water, I think the commission has done very well in affecting its mandate areas. We also have water project in Ojolu, Sapele Local Government Area and one in Orhuakpa.
While in the area of roads, we have done well; 900 metres have been done; Adagboyerin and Otumara communities, the road linking Onoghovo and Obromudu. That road 900 metres phase one has also been completed.It is our expectation that in our next budgetary year, phase two would be accommodated. So far so good, health sector, supply of science equipment has been done in Ethiope West, awaiting distribution to all15 health centres in Ethiope West Local Government Area. In Sapele, DESOPADEC has also supplied medical equipment to the Sapele Central Hospital and as we speak, the rehabilitation of the children’s ward in Sapele has also been completed. In fact, the job is a masterpiece.
The emergency department of the Sapele Central Hospital is ongoing with the contractor mobilised to site. We have a primary health centre project being executed in Ovwore community along Eku Road by the right to Eku. The one in Mission Road, Oguanja, has also been completed awaiting handing over to the council and commissioning. We also have health centre project in Ibadan Elume Community. It is ongoing and has gone far. In Okpe,_I have just been informed that the rehabilitation of the central hospital in Orerokpe has been completed awaiting commissioning. Hopefully, within the next few days, I will go to site to inspect what we have on ground. In all ramifications, we have done well.
What about the schools?
So many projects about school have been done. Orefe Secondary School, six classrooms blocks have been completed and being used by the students. In fact, students of Orefe Secondary School were receiving their classes at their temporary site at Uherevie Primary School but as we speak, they have moved to a structure that was built by DESOPADEC at their permanent site, and we have several classroom blocks that are ongoing. We want to use the school as DESOPADEC Model School. We have about 18 classrooms to be constructed. Out of the 18, construction has commenced on nine. They are already at various advance stages. Hopefully any moment from now, those projects will also be completed. So, you could see that we have done so much. If I should say, I think about fifty percent of the projects has been completed while about ten percent of the contractors have notmobilised to site especially the Ireto Road, Elume Road and we also have Okuowisi, the project is ongoing. We inspected the project sometimes ago; the roof has been removed and I expected the contractor to go back to site and may be the terrain has delayed the execution of _that project. At Ugbenu, we have a gigantic market construction;_ in fact, it is a masterpiece. If you go there, you will see what we are doing at Ugbenu. On electricity, we have constructed so many solar street lights. We have one at Chief Erase Road in Ogharefe and another at Ibadan Elume. We have one in Otimeyin Adams Street Sapele and many others. So, we have done well. Kudos to His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who has given me the enabling environment to perform.
What is your focus in the 2014 budget?
I do not believe in abandonment of projects, because of the lean resources to the Urhobo ethnic nationality. You know our finances are very small, so we want to see how we could execute our projects to the completion level. We want to avoid abandonment of projects. In that light, emphasis will be more on completion of projects in 2014 budget. Personally, I may not go into new projects. I have started so many projects in Sapele, Okpe and Ethiope West Local Government Areas. 80 percent of my 2014 budget will be channelled into completion of 2013_projects. And if we are able to complete what we have started, it is going to be beneficial to everybody from my oil-bearing communities, especially in my mandate areas. Emphasis will be on completion of projects. We should expect new budget in 2015 as far as its affects me. We hope to commission more projects in 2015. That is my target in 2015.
What exactly would you want your people to expect from you in the next budget?
People should expect more dividends of democracy. As I have said, so many projects have commenced by contractors and we also have some that are yet to commence. For instance, the Vote Avenue Road opposite Baptist Church, leading to Catholic Church in Oghara has been awarded to a competent contractor and I know if not for the election primaries, he would have mobilised to site. I also think ahead on how to complete those projects. What the people in my mandate area should expect is mobilisation of contractors to site; because, the moment contractors see money or have _fund, they are encouraged to go back to site. The people in my mandate areas should expect to see contractors on site to complete various projects they have started as a result of further budgetary provisions. All emphasis will be on the completion of ongoing projects. We have so many ongoing jobs. Even in Ovade Oghara community, rehabilitation of 14 classrooms at Unugbore Primary School, rehabilitation of six classrooms at Ovade Oghara Secondary School and others in Jesse. I want to commend Hon. John Obukohwo Nani, who has facilitated some of the DESOPADEC projects in Jesse, the administrative headquarters of Idjerhe Kingdom and as we speak, nearly all the jobs in DESOPADEC budget in Jesse; more than 90 per cent of those jobs must be completed.
How would you describe the responses of your people so far?
There have been positive responses from the people in my mandate area_s, particularly the people from the Okpe Kingdom. I must confess that my people from the Okpe Kingdom have been very responsive. They are always trouping to my home to appreciate the good work of government, because they believe that I have represented them very well and there has been positive responses by way of their approach. The way they do things, their responses could also be seen in the way they relate with the contractors handling various DESOPADEC projects in their 0area. I have never seen in any of the areas where contractors were molested, because if you molest a contractor, your job cannot be completed. I must confess that my people in Okpe, Sapele and Ethiope West Local Government Areas have done well in accommodating these contractors. Above all, the Okpe people are more appreciative as far as I am concerned.
What would you be remembered for at the end of your tenure on the board of DESOPADEC?
Well, I will be remembered for the legacy I am leaving behind. Is it in education sector? Name them! As we speak, my extra moral classes are going on; Saturdays and Sundays at Ibori Primary School, and you are aware that sometimes ago, I also organised summer school.
The post How I impacted Ethiope West, Sapele, Okpe councils, by Ofa appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.