- Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori
By Anthony Nwachukwu
The Executive Assistant, Media, to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Mr. Igho Akeregha, has applauded the governor’s giant infrastructural strides, stressing that the state was fast becoming a construction site.
A public affairs and renowned media content analyst, Akeregha, who spoke during a courtesy visit by members of Delta State Media Forum, Abuja, reassured Deltans of the governor’s commitment to deliver on his mandate.
The group, comprising media practitioners from Delta State who ply their trade in the Federal Capital Territory, led by the coordinator, Mr. Ben Ubiri, had gone to felicitate with Akeregha on his appointment and to pledge its support to the government.
Disclosing that he just returned from a tour of the three Senatorial Districts of the state, Akeregha maintained that in three years, the state would be selling itself in terms of development.
“I visited Delta North, Delta South and Delta Central and one could see that Delta State is gradually becoming a construction site,” he said.
“The governor is indeed committed; he is not far removed from his people. He is accessible. In the next three years, the state would be selling itself in terms of huge infrastructure development. The governor is a man with empathy for the people of Delta State. He is fully prepared for this job and is aligned to the grassroots. So, some of us have come to give impetus to the work he is doing.
“He appointed some of us to the government to support the work he is doing and I must say that the team I see around him shows that he is prepared to face the rigours of governance. He is always at the table working and that inspires people around him.”
Akeregha added: “I can assure you that as Deltans, your state is in the right hand. If you recall, there was no single incident of crime in Warri during the last Christmas and New year celebration.
“For the first time, there was zero criminal report in Warri and its environs. That presupposes that going forward, we are going to have a peaceful state.”
He recalled that Oborevwori’s six-year tenure as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly was also very peaceful.
Akeregha further asked for prayer for the awaited Supreme Court judgment, which he hopes will align with the popular wish of Deltans who rightly elected Oborevwori as their governor.
He insisted: “Some in the opposition are saying that the elections were manipulated, but Delta State is too sophisticated for anyone to manipulate the electoral process.
“We are very hopeful that in the next few days, when the Supreme Court reviews the judgment (of the Appeal Court), everybody will have cause to celebrate as Deltans expect Oborevwori’s election to be validated.
“Once that is done, we shall be calling on all Deltans, including the opposition, to close ranks with the governor to build the state”
Meanwhile, he commended the forum, admitting that members have been doing a great work as individuals and as a group. According to him, “at the inception of the forum, I considered it a brilliant idea because it was time for unification to promote group interest.
“I subscribed to it and have been a member. I have been at the centre of public interest analysis and media content analysis, particularly in AIT.
According to him, “some of us have decided to bring our experiences to government to see how we can promote its activities anchored on inclusivity.
“The governor is doing very well in the state. All of you are familiar with the ‘MORE Agenda.’ His Excellency is bringing everyone into the development mix – whether in terms of infrastructure development, opportunities for all or security for all Deltans.
Earlier, Ubiri congratulated Akeregha on his appointment, noting that it was the prayer of the forum for one of its members to be recognised in that capacity. He stated: “Most of us have been in the media for over two decades, some little less than that, but we appear like strangers when we travel down home.
“So, we feel that as we work in Abuja, all politics remain local and there is need to brainstorm so that whenever we go home, we know that though we are in Abuja, we are still contributing to the development of the state and lending a helping hand to the government of the day.
“We prayed that at least one of us would be nominated for a position and when we were yet praying, God answered in another way by appointing one of us.”
He described Akeregha as a fearless but highly objective journalist known for his political analysis in the media. “Therefore, “we are proud to be associated with you. You are our ambassador. Tell them you are not alone, that we are many here and that you have the support of Delta State journalists in Abuja.
“We will support you with our pens, connection and social networks. We congratulate you for taking up this position. Some other people will reject it, but accepting it means that you want to help the state to develop. We will support you in any way we can.
“Convey our message to the governor that we have people in various positions. We can support and make Delta recognised. It is journalists that make their states popular. We pledge our support for development in the state and that is our commitment to you.
“We will try our best to report Delta State positively, to present the reports as they should be, because we have seen a lot of development in the state and want to key into it and be part of it.”
