By Austin Ogwuda
THE Delta State governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has been called upon to hold townhouse meetings periodically across the three senatorial districts in the State to enable him feel the pulse of the people directly.
This call was made by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Lucky Osagbakhoe when he led the State Executive of the body on a courtesy visit to Government House, Asaba, on Wednesday.
While acknowledging the administration’s peace building and developmental efforts in the State, the CAN Chairman however harped on the need for the Governor to have town hall meetings in the three senatorial districts of the State to enable him feel the pulse of the people he is governing as feedback mechanism.
Responding, Governor Oborevwori consented that would hold town hall meetings across local government areas in the State, as part of his administration’s strategic engagements with the people.
He also said his administration was working to ensure every local government benefited from massive road construction with the provision of no fewer than N1billion for roads in each local government area in the 2024 budget.
Said he, “We know it is necessary and we are doing a lot to touch all the local government areas so that when we hold the town hall meetings we have things to showcase to them.
“A lot of projects are going on across the state and in each local government area, we made the provision of not less than N1 Billion in the 2024 budget for road construction.
“We have been doing a lot of empowerment programmes in the past few months. A few weeks ago, we did the MORE grant where we empowered 5,000 persons.
“A few days ago, too”, he went on, “we flagged off the distribution of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs to over 6,000 persons in Delta State.
“The hard times we are facing now are not peculiar to Delta State, but when you compare what we are doing in Delta with other states and with our huge work force, you will see that we are doing our best.
“We are doing a lot of engagements because if we were not doing that, during the last End bad Governance protests, you would have seen something different.
“This is because Delta State was among the flash point states that was expected to have problems. We could see that there was no protest here yesterday because we are dialoguing and we believe in dialogue, rather than confrontation.
“I want to solicit again that you continue to put the government, both at the national and sub-national levels, in prayers because, prayers are very necessary for leaders to focus and think very well on how to provide good governance for the people”, he added.
Photo caption: Delta State CAN Chairman, Rev. Lucky Osagbakhoe (right) with the Governor during the courtesy visit.