Okowa promises wealth creation, agricultural

The Delta State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has announced a five-point agenda which his administration will pursue for the next four years. The agenda, tagged SMART, means: Strategic wealth creation; Meaningful peace building platforms; Agricultural reforms and accelerated industrialisation; Relevant education and health policies; and a Transformed environment through urban renewal. Explaining how he would achieve his goals, Okowa said job creation would be the cornerstone of his policies. “It is the common thread running through our policies and programmes in education, health, agriculture, industrialisation and infrastructure development. We shall embrace and embark on projects and programmes only when we are convinced and satisfied with their job creation content,” he said. On agricultural reforms, the governor said his government would encourage and create an enabling environment for commercial farming to thrive through the private sector and Public-Private Partnership. “Delta State has vast potential and capacity in the production of rubber, oil palm, rice, yam, cassava, potato, plantain, tomato and fish,” he said. The governor also promised to improve the standard of living of the people of Delta by reforming the environment and focusing on urban renewal. “We shall strive to upgrade the infrastructure of selected towns in each federal constituency to ensure even development in the state; to attract investment, boost and stimulate economic growth,” he said. He pledged to work with the private sector to meet the challenge of housing in the cities and put measures in place to address the housing needs of the poor. The governor also said that emphasis would be placed on technical and vocational education that would empower the people with requisite knowledge and entrepreneurial skills for business, trade and commerce.