By Olalekan Bilesanmi
Hon. Sunday Eromedoghene Onoriode is a  Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart and immediate past Chairman of Ethiope East local government area of Delta State. He is the incumbent  Organizing Secretary of the  PDP in Delta State.

In this interview, Onoriode speaks on Okowa’s administration, Delta  at 25 and President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Delta State is 25 years. How is the journey so far?

The journey has not been so easy. From the time of creation and trying to get the state together, it has been  a tasking job for all those who had governed Delta State up till the administration of our amiable Governor Ifeanyi Okowa  who is performing wonderfully.

Several persons have contributed their quota to the development of the state, and these contributions is what we are celebrating today. But  the celebration of the Delta  at 25 will not be completed without mentioning Okowa who has given the state a new face through his Smart Agenda.

Many people still view Okowa’s administration as one that has not done much for Deltans, that most projects were continuation of Uduaghan’s government. What is your comment?

I  disagree with that view, because since the governor assumed office on May 29, 2015,  Okowa  has made efforts to reduce unemployment in Delta through his job creation Smart Agenda programme. About 1,300 youths have been trained and given starter pack to enable them commence  business.

These youths are expected to be employers of labour. Within the short time he has assumed office, Okowa has embarked on the construction of many township and rural roads.

Despite the economic situation of the country, the governor has embarked on the construction of the middle section of Alisimie-Ozanogogo Road; dualisation of Nnebisi Road, from traffic light to Cable Point, Asaba.

Okowa is also reconstructing the old Oleh/Emede/Olomoro Road; widening/reconstructing Owhe-Ologbo/Abbi Road and embarking on the reconstruction/expansion/construction of Kefas Road, Emore Road and Uzere Road.

In Sapele, Orerokpe and Ughelli area of Delta Central, the governor is working on the dualisation of Sapele Road, from Amukpe Roundabout to AT&P, Sapele; the construction of Ejinyere/Orodje Street, Orerokpe and construction of Oteri township roads, Ughelli.

Onoriode

In his  mission to raise the standard of education, Okowa held, for two days, the  Education Summit under the theme, ‘Leapfrogging Education in Delta.’ The summit attracted prominent Nigerians and educationists like Chief Afe Babalola, Prof Pai Obaya and a host of others to address the challenges education sector was facing in the state and the way forward.

As part of his efforts to revive vocational study, Okowa has embarked on the upgrade of Sapele, Agbor, and Ofagbe Technical Colleges.

He is also upgrading infrastructure in both primary and secondary schools across  Delta. To drive home his policy of prosperity for all Deltans, believing that health is wealth, the Okowa administration is implementing the Contributory Health Pension scheme to give universal coverage to all categories of Deltans.

The governor has equally consented to the establishment of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, South-South out station in Asaba. This will bring closer collaboration between NIMR and tertiary health institutions in the state and that is besides providing employment for Deltans.

And in line with the administration’s commitment to open up the state for business and tourism, he has embarked on the remodelling of the 3.4 kilometers runway of the Asaba International Airport to meet international standards. The aviation authorities had recommended the measure to enable bigger aircraft to land at the airport.

The economic diversification initiatives of government have also yielded results as many investors have signed Memoranda of Understanding, MoU, on key areas meant to boost the economy of the state with the State Government.

The governor made several appointments to kick-start the government and equally gone ahead to pick on some key projects that are significant to the people of Delta. To  show that the governor has a mindset with a view to moving the state forward and within the short time in office, he has done great things through his SMART Agenda, rooted on making Deltans self-reliance.

The governor’s programme is all about training the youths, and at the end of the day empower them to be on their own, with that they can help employ other youths to work with them.

The first batch just got through with their training in different fields of specialization.

Some are today into farming, welding and fabrication, crafts work, and all of that and they all left to start on their own with starter-pack. The Smart Agenda will usher in tremendous changes in Delta. The agenda gives Deltans cause to celebrate  the 25 years anniversary of  the state.

You previously served under Chief Edwin Uzor as state PDP Chairman. How do you describe the administrations of Uzor, Peter Nwanboshi and the present administration of Kingsley Esiso and the claim  of  Esiso being press shy?

Delta, PDP  under Nwanboshi and later Uzor, did so well, and that is what gave victory to the present administration of Okowa.  Both chairmen, during their time, worked  round the clock to ensure  continuity  even when there was the  perception that PDP had lost out in Delta.

It is the same vein, the new Chairman of Delta PDP, Esiso, is taking and l know with his experience as a  seasoned politician who has contributed greatly to the growth of the party, Delta PDP will excel in  future  elections.

On the perception that the Chairman is press shy, I disagree because what  brought him to limelight in politics  was his out spoken nature. So, it will be funny to say he is press shy when there are no issues to talk about.

There is the fear that with the rate All Progressive Congress is going in Delta State, it is likely to win the forthcoming local government elections and the 2019 general elections. What is your take?

This is not an issue. We all know that all they are doing is to satisfy their pay masters. They tell their pay masters they are on ground and they are waxing stronger, but you and l know that APC has no  structure in Delta.

You must have a structure before you start thinking of winning elections. When we  come out with our plans, like the way we did during our governor’s election, where we meet the people one on one, they will know who has structure on ground.

Political analysts say with the division in the PDP that brought the Modu Sherriff and Makarfi factions, the party may lose out to the APC come 2019 presidential and other elections?

What is happening in the PDP  is not extraordinary.  What you ought to know is that when you have a party like the  PDP which is a big family, it is expected that this will happen. The PDP is the biggest political party in Africa.  No matter, the differences  will come to pass because there is always a meeting point at the end of the day.