(NEWS RELEASE)
Delta government on Thursday approved the setting up of environmental sanitation taskforce to enhance the cleanliness of the State.
This was part of the decisions reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the Secretary to State Government, Chief Patrick Ukah at Government House, Asaba.
In a post Exco briefing, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu said Exco directed the Ministry of Justice to harmonize all existing laws on environmental sanitation.
“We examined quite a number of issues bordering on the development of our people and we started by taking a look at a report by a committee chaired by the Deputy governor that was mandated to look into issues of environmental sanitation in Delta.
“In the course of that report, we felt that there is a need to have state environmental task force that would be charged with the responsibility of coordinating a number of agencies, saddled with the responsibilities of keeping our environment clean.
“The committee also recommended that there is need to harmonise existing laws that regulates issues bordering on sanitising our environment, all in a view to making our environment clean.
“Another key recommendation in that report is the need for us to continue to plant trees along our different roads that will help beautify the environment and add value to our ecosystem.
“The Ministry of Justice has been mandated to look at the existing laws and harmonise them, possibly recommend ammendments where necessary so that at the end of the day, we would have a cleaner Delta state,” he said.
Aniagwu also said Exco approved review of the Ughelli/Asaba dualisation project from N20 billion naira to N23 billion naira to fastrack early completion of the project.
He said the review became necessary following the galloping inflation on prices of construction materials and increase in the scope of works on the job.
Mr Aniagwu outlined other roads that received upward review to include Alizomor/Alizor/Omumu road in Ika South from N1.4billion naira to N2.2billion, Elume roads in Sapele Local Government from N1.5billion to N2.7billion naira.
Others according to him were the bridge across Ethiope River in Umusume quarters, Obiaruku, Ukwuani local government area from N2.3billion to N3.8billion naira, flood control project at Sapele Waterboard road in Oghara in Ethiope West from N494 million naira to N667 million naira and Esama internal road in Bomadi.
“Roads approved for construction include the phase one section of the Saint Charles College ,Abavo road of 3.2km, the 1.8km Ute-Ogbeje/Otolokpo road, Kingdom hall and Obe street Umunede, Uturu road in Sapele, first phase of the Agba village road Onicha-Olona, Emakpor Palace road in Ughelli, and three other roads in Asaba including Obidinma/Okone street and Oviemeke Owumi street as well as Akugbene street.
“Also at the meeting, the sum of N308 million naira was approved for the skill training and equipping of 325 women aged 30 to 50 under Women Empowerment Skills Acquisition Programme WESAP stressing that the programme will be coordinated by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Community Development.
“Exco also gave approval for flood control on the Orikeze avenue junction through Obi road Agbor in Ika South.”
Mr Aniagwu added that Exco approved the appointment of Sunday Odogwu Okpure as the Ovie of Mosogar while Joseph Nkonyenechie Ugbarugba as the Okpala Uku of Uteoku in Ndokwa East.
