Warri South assures residents on landmark projects

Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Wehinmi Agbateyinro, has assured residents that his administration is determined to deliver people-focused projects that will significantly change the face of the council area.

Agbateyinro gave the assurance when the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, paid a working visit to the council secretariat on a project assessment tour.

Speaking through the Deputy Leader of the Legislative Arm, Hon. Emmanuel Omasan, Agbateyinro reeled out major infrastructural, educational, health, agricultural and welfare projects completed or ongoing within his one year in office.

Top among them is the rehabilitation of a two-kilometre stretch from NPA New Port Gate to Proteco on the NPA highway, already nearing completion, and the Nupe-UCC road, now 90 percent completed with dual drains and stone base.

The chairman also disclosed that a 600-metre bridge linking Ifiekporo town to an island tagged ‘Transatlantic New City of Warri’ is under construction, aimed at decongesting Warri main town and expanding commercial activities.

The council, he said, operates a zero-pothole policy, rehabilitating several failed road sections, including a 200-metre portion of Omadino-Obodo road, to improve road safety and ensure smooth traffic movement.

Agbateyinro revealed that Warri South was the first council to comply with Delta State’s directive to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflecting a commitment to transparency and financial discipline.

Pessu Market, a key economic hub, has been revived with the construction of a modern abattoir and solar-powered cold room, while an online-enabled meat fair shop for doorstep delivery is under construction.

He said within one year in office, the council constructed a one-storey building complex in Igbudu Market, comprising 24 lock-up shops to replace the space of the structure lost to fire outbreak.

The chairman noted that 10 people-oriented laws have been passed and assented to, including traffic enforcement, revenue review, property enhancement and indiscriminate waste dumping, all geared towards improving public life and urban order.

On education, the council awarded scholarships to 1,000 pupils, funded JAMB and common entrance enrollment, provided 8,500 notebooks to 37 public primary schools and supported sports, leading Ighogbadu Primary School to win the Zenith Bank Headmaster’s Cup.

The council has also invested in health, providing millions of naira in medical support for accident victims and cancer patients, operational emergency ambulance services, and achieving 100 percent success in insecticide-treated net distribution.

To boost food production, 20 hectares of farmland were acquired at Orere-Uba, while management staff received agricultural production training in Akwa Ibom and Oyo states, with two percent of council allocation invested in farming initiatives.

Environmental sanitation has been strengthened with, clearing of canals and drains, the engagement of 100 road sweepers, sanitation marshals and coordinators under the ‘Project Keep Warri Clean’ programme, backed by rehabilitation of security agencies’ operational vehicles for effective community policing.

The council also provides monthly transport stipends for staff, N20,000 monthly stipends for elderly citizens and N10 million revolving loans to 10 markets to strengthen grassroots commerce.

Agbateyinro said these strides reflect his administration’s vision of inclusive development, stating: “Our mission is to leave Warri South better than we met it and create lasting opportunities for our people.”

NUJ Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, commended the initiative, noting the visit was part of a Delta NUJ scorecard project aimed at rewarding excellence, transparency and healthy competition among councils.

The NUJ team later joined council leaders in a motorcade to inspect and verify some of the projects executed within the local government area.

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