The best legacy governor Ifeanyi Okowa can bequeath the people of Ika nation is the laying of a solid foundation for economic prosperity. The will to do this is not lacking, going by his antecedents when he was a Commissioner, Secretary to the State Government and now the second term governor of Delta State.
Agreed that the lean financial position of the State occasioned by the world lockdown as a result of COVID-19 pandemic with the dwindling revenue from the Federation account is a major setback but a determined Okowa can make a way where there seem to be no way. Already, efforts are being made to tar many streets and roads in Boji-Boji urban and many other roads in the other clans of Ika nation as well as many other cities, towns and villages in Delta State.
Road infrastructure no doubt is one of the key components of economic development. Strategic street roads in Boji-Boji Agbor and Imeobi Agbor such as the road from Dein’s Palace to Uromi road Junction, a broad and dualizable road running from old Abraka road to Owa-ekei Road in Boji-Boji Owa should be identified for tarring and the tarring should be of high quality so that the roads can stand the test of time.
Another area governor Okowa should not forget is the provision of portable water. It is shameful that a town as large as Boji-Boji Agbor and indeed Boji-Boji urban has no treated public water supply. When I was growing up as a student of St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, in the early seventies, there were public pipe borne water taps scattered all over Boji-Boji Agbor and its environs. Unfortunately, today there are no such things again.
The most surprising aspect about this water issue is that there exist Water Board offices as a parastatal of one of the State Ministries with workers on their pay roll who collect salaries at the end of the month without doing anything. What a waste of public funds? If individuals can sink boreholes to provide their homes with water, why can’t government provide its citizens with treated water which is one of the basic necessities of life. The drilling of industrial boreholes for the supply of treated pipe borne water is not rocket science. That the individual is able to do it shows that the cost if properly managed is not prohibitive. All that is needed, is the political will on the part of government to provide this social amenity.
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I am happy that my humble call for the rebuilding of the old garage market in Boji-Boji Owa into a modern market with good passage, parking lot and drainage has been taken up by the dynamic and progressive chairman of the Ika North-East Local Government, Honourable Ebonka. This will no doubt uplift the economic wellbeing of the Ika nation. The same could be said of Baleke market in Boji-Boji Agbor. In rebuilding the Baleke market the number of lock up stalls and open stalls should be reduced to pave way for a modern garage with an in- road through Baleke street and an out – road through a link to Okoh street.
The present arrangement in which drivers are using an unplanned small and awkward space behind Mobil filling station by Baleke street is unbefitting of a city of Agbor status.
Let me also use this golden opportunity to commend the dynamic and progressive Chairman of Ika South Local Government, Honourable Okoh for his giant strides in the development of the local government, especially in the area of market development.
One other project that could frog lift the economy of Ika nation is the building of either a university or polytechnic in Boji-Boji Agbor or its environs. If the state government has any constraint in doing this, let it encourage prominent Ika sons and daughters who have the wherewithal to do this. Educational institutions will continue to survive as long as human civilization survives and the economic contributions to its host community are innumerable.
Another major setback the Ika people are confronted with today is the inability of those in Boji-Boji urban to receive Radio and TV signals from Delta Radio and Delta TV in Asaba except those using satellite dishes. Not everybody can afford it. Surprisingly, one can get clear signals from Edo Radio and TV in Benin City and receive signals from Ondo Radio and TV from Akure. All that is needed to solve this problem is to build a repeater station or a booster station in Agbor or close to Agbor so that the people of Boji-Boji metropolis can hear and see what is happening in Asaba their state capital and the state in general.
There can be no better time to tackle this problem than now when both the governor and the state Commissioner for information are illustrious sons of the Ika nation. During the tenure of Governor Uduaghan there was plan by the then Commissioner for Information Mr. Chike Ogeah (Esq) for the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) to commence 24 hours broadcast signals in Agbor. I remember in June, 2015 the current affairs manager of DBS Mrs. Evelyn Binitie announced that plans have reached advance stage for a 24hours transmission by both Radio and Television to address the problem of poor signals in Agbor.
Six years after nothing, has been done to solve this problem. Information is power. A people who are not informed will certainly be deformed. This problem of no signals in Agbor from the Delta radio and television in Asaba can be solved by the governor and the Commissioner of Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu an Ace broadcaster both of whom are sons of Ika nation.
I understand there was at one time in his first tenure, when governor Okowa had a good plan to build Agbor shopping mall and that a few members of the landlord association were protesting against the choice of the site, and I think this should not be. This is a laudable initiative which should not be allowed to die. This shopping mall has its economic advantage to the development of the Ika nation. that government field location is the most ideal for a shopping mallk. Whatever purpose the government field is serving now can better be served by the Agbor township stadium which is just a stone throw from the government field. I want to join all other well meaning sons and daughters of Ika nation to support the building of this shopping mall at this location.
Governor Okowa has done extremely well in his first tenure and the people of Ika nation are expecting more of the dividends of democracy from him in his second and last tenure. Let me at this point in time join all well meaning and patriotic Deltans to congratulate this illustrious son of Ika nation on his resounding victory at polls and the Supreme Court over the forces of ineptitude and retrogression. A week to the build up of 2019 gubernatorial election, I watched with utmost dismay the ajasco dancing and garrulous ex- chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshoemhole a onetime colleague of mine in the Nigerian labour movement boasting that they will capture Delta State and their candidate, Great Ogboru will be sworn in as the next governor of Delta state. He rhetorically asked his gulible audience “ Where will Governor Okowa get the needed security to withstand the onslaught of the Federal might”?.
Governor Okowa like the biblical David relied upon the power of the Almighty God and the goodwill of Deltans to floor the APC biblical goliath Great Ogboru . The amiable governor of the people has put all that behind him and he is looking forward to building a prosperous Delta state.
It is heartwarming to note that governor Okowa has started the construction of a training school for the Road Safety Corps at Owa-Oyibu and mother and child hospital at Owa-Alero. As laudable as these projects are, their potential for employment is very low and as such their economic impact to the economy of Ika nation will be marginal.
Like I have earlier advocated in similar write ups , what is needed to boost the economy of the Ika nation is the establishment of a specialized Polytechnic or University at Agbor or its environs. Such a Polytechnic or university should be in the area of communication and information technology. This is the new area of knowledge that is driving the world economy and the economies of nations. This is now the new area of focus. Not only will such institution create huge employment opportunities and boost the economy of the people of Ika nation It will also churn out graduates who will be workers without national boundaries , self employed and employers of labour. The building of such specialized institution is more compelling now as there is no such university or Polytechnic in Nigeria today. Former governor Onanefe Ibori knew well enough the economic benefits of educational institutions and that was what informed his establishment of four major institutions of higher learning in his home town Oghara which was hitherto a sleepy town.
There is no doubt that governor Okowa has etched his name in gold as the first Ika man to be a senator, the first Ika man to be Secretary to State government and the first Ika man to be governor of a state. These are rare feat for somebody from a minority ethnic nationality. Opportunities like these come once in a blue moon and must be exploited to the fullest so that he can leave a lasting legacy for which he can be remembered even by future generations. Road development like I have earlier pointed out is good component of economic development but they are not enduring legacies as they have very short life span.
That is why governor Okowa has to do all he can to build a University or Polytechnic in Agbor or its environs. A University or Polytechnic as institutions of learning have perpetual life span . They are high manpower training industry whose economic and social impact cannot be over emphasized. With a university in Agbor or its environs there will be economic boom for the Ika nation, there will be ready market for buyers and sellers of the basic necessities of life. Should governor Okowa find any constraint in building this university or Polytechnic he should encourage the Ika sons and daughters who have the wherewithal to do so.
All well meaning Ikas who love economic prosperity are looking up to governor Okowa to build a University or Polytechnic at Agbor as the only enduring legacy for which he can be remembered by this generation and indeed future generations of Ika people and even Deltans alike
There are so many Ika sons and daughters who have the wherewithal to build a specialized university at Agbor and indeed Boji-Boji urban. The time to act is now.
Comrade Benson Iduh a veteran labour leader writes from Lagos.