Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
Delta Government has approved the development of Asaba waterfront project with construction of six lane road along the waterfront and has earmarked about N1.1 billion as compensation.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed in a chat newsmen on some of the decisions taken at the State Executive Council meeting that held in Government House Asaba.
He said that the approvals were in line with the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administrations’ promise to work assiduously till the last day in office.
Aniagwu also said that the council approved the rehabilitation and asphalt overlaying of the second phase of the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku Road (old Lagos/Asaba Road).
The commissioner said that council also approved the construction of perimeter road around the Asaba Airport to check incursion of animals and ensure security at the airport.
He said that in order to ensure improved services and costs reductions at the state owned general hospitals; government also approved the provision of renewable energy mix (solar powers) to power the hospitals.
The commissioner said that the government was considering the engagement of a consultant to help it reconcile it’s Federation Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) accounts receipt with financial institutions on commission basis if there were recoveries.
According to Aniagwu, the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku road, formerly a Federal Government Road has been taken in phases due to financial burden and that the project has become necessary to open up the communities.
“We, before now have seen the need to develop the waterfront in Asaba and for us to do that, we needed to also pay compensations to those who own land in the area.
“The waterfront is from the Anwai axis up to the city centre in Asaba, and beyond the payment of N1.1 billion compensation, we are also going to construct a six lane dual carriage road for us to drive straight to the waterfront.
“So, that has been approved and for compensation to be paid to those whose land are within the water corridor and to those whose land will be affected by the construction of the six lane road.”
Aniagwu said that for the state government to keep its debt records straight the council also considered utilising 60 per cent of what the federal government owed it to write off its domestic debt with the federal government.
“As a government, we are also desirous to finish strong.
“We also approved today, the engagement of a consultant to help us reconcile our FAAC account because sometimes you may not have the kind of remittance that should come from the financial institutions.
“We have also considered that the federal government is indebted to us largely, we also have some level of domestic debt.
“So, we are considering taking about 60 per cent of the money owed us by the federal government to write off what they say we are owing them,” Aniagwu said.(NAN)
