Protocol.
I humbly accept the responsibility that the good people of delta state I have been granted to serve as your Governor for the next four years. I accept it with a determination to do MORE to ADVANCE the State to new heights in leadership and socioeconomic development.
2. I stand before you today full of hope and confidence about our future. As the longest-serving Speaker of the House of Assembly, I have learned the importance of setting government priorities, communicating the goals and results of policies and programs, and partnering with the executive for their successful implementation. Therefore, I am well positioned to provide good governance for our people.
3. But before I go any further, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, His Excellency Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for his patriotism and deep sense of public service. Governor Okowa assumed the leadership of this state at a very precarious time in our country’s history. In addition to the massive disruptions caused by COVID-19, the country has gone through two recessions at different times in the past eight years. But thanks to Governor Okowa’s discipline, wisdom, prudent management of the economy, and political acumen, Delta State not only survived, but emerged stronger. In fact, I applaud Governor Okowa for his fiscal discipline and innovative advances in human capital development, infrastructure renovation, technical and vocational education, and peacebuilding.
4. It would be wrong for me to also fail to recognize the role played by the founding fathers of the State, military and civilian, whose sacrifice and dedication helped nurture the State from infancy. It goes without saying that the State flourished under the current democratic dispensation which began in 1999. In this regard, Their Excellencies Chief James Onanefe Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan deserve special praise for their vision and tenacity of purpose.
5. Today marks the beginning of not just a new administration, but an era that will propel Delta State to greater heights in people-centered policy, human capital development, and infrastructure renewal. With what was accomplished by the immediate previous administration, the new administration is poised to ADVANCE the state through the MORE agenda, which means:
significant development;
Opportunities for all;
realistic reforms; and
Greater peace and security.
6. Consequently, the new administration will seek:
Promote sustainable economic growth and job creation in the private sector;
boost human capital;
Build an enabling infrastructure;
Improve governance and accountability systems to improve service delivery; and
Strengthen public financial management.
7. In pursuit of these goals, existing business development programs will be maintained and expanded to encourage more small-scale businesses to set up, thereby creating jobs and consequently reducing crime and anti-social activities among our vibrant population. youth.
8. We will also enhance existing social investment programs to benefit poor and vulnerable groups, including widows and people with disabilities, through microcredit, training, and business networks. We will continue to develop empowerment programs for women’s associations, particularly in rural areas.
9. This administration will ensure the completion of all ongoing projects: roads, bridges, schools and other physical infrastructure. As everyone knows, the government cannot do it alone. Thus, we will build an enabling environment for public-private partnership investments in virtually all sectors of the economy.
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10. In the agricultural sector, we will develop the agricultural value chain, which is an important driver of sustainable economic growth. This administration will spare no effort to ensure that the development of agro-industrial parks is accelerated, given their potential to generate employment opportunities, create wealth, reduce unemployment and improve food security.
11. The recent approval by the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) for Koko and Kwale is a positive development because this project has the capacity to unlock the growth potential of the State. With the Board now in place, we will immediately take steps to make it fully operational and attract investors to the area.
12. The Delta State has been relatively peaceful for the past eight years. However, recent security breaches in the Warri area are worrying. This administration with the help of security agencies will take decisive action to ensure that the situation does not degenerate.
13. In addition, Warri, the commercial powerhouse of the State, will receive special attention during this administration. The process has already started with the establishment of the Warri, Uvwie and Environmental Development Agency (WUEDA). Before the ongoing Stormwater Project is completed, the government will begin efforts to give Warri and the surrounding area a total facelift. In the same way, the rehabilitation works in progress in the Stadium of the Municipality of Warri will be expedited.
14. Top priority will be given to the Civil Service to increase its efficiency and improve the provision of its services. Furthermore, merit will be the yardstick for promotion to senior management positions to encourage the entry and retention of the best brains in public service. Likewise, this administration will provide all the necessary support to the judiciary so that it can carry out its functions without impediment or impediment.
CONCLUSION
15. Your Excellencies, my dear good people of Delta State, the problems facing this administration are not new. It is about improving the quality of life of our people, building bridges of social cohesion, giving our people hope for a better tomorrow and accelerated development. And it demands creative thinking, proactive action, and exemplary leadership from me and all those who will have the privilege of serving as elected officials and political appointees.
16. I pledge to lead an open and responsive government that meets the needs and aspirations of our people. I represent consolidation and progress; consolidation because I’m picking up where the previous administration left off, and moving forward because I’m moving Delta State to greater heights in inclusive economic growth, human capital development, infrastructure renewal, and peace and security. I am committed to making life richer, better, and more fulfilling for our people.
17. To my former colleagues from the Sixth and Seventh Assemblies, I sincerely thank you for your support. My thanks also go to the parents of the faith for their prayers and advice. And to our revered traditional rulers, I thank you for your prayers, words of wisdom, and advice. I will continue to count on your support.
18. In conclusion, I long for the prayers of all of you for the wisdom to lead and the divine empowerment to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves for this administration. The tasks we face are difficult, the choices are not easy. But with your support and prayers we will get the job done.
19. God bless Delta State.
20. God bless us all.