Delta Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Friday charged contractors handling government projects in the state to intensify their efforts so as to meet contractual obligations and deadline.

Okowa gave the charge while speaking to newsmen shortly after inspecting ongoing projects at newly-established Dennis Osadebe University, Leisure Park and Film Village all in Asaba.

At the university, the governor inspected the Faculty of Agriculture building where he was conducted round two auditoria with 250 and 500-seating capacities, respectively, Administrative building and Faculty of Environmental Sciences.

He said that roads would be constructed to connect faculties and proper landscaping done to control erosion in the university.

He lauded the contractors handling various projects in the university for the level of work so far executed, but urged those handling projects at the Leisure Park and Film Village to speed up work so that the projects would be ready in December, 2021.

According to him, the vision of this administration is to ensure that enough facilities are on ground in the new tertiary institutions in the state to create a suitable ambience for proper academic work.

“If you watch from the beginning, the roads in the university are all paved. It is only the last section, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences that we have the challenge of access road.

“Already, I have instructed that rather than spend so much money to work on the current access road to the faculty, we can turn to an alternative road to that faculty where we do not need a lot to control erosion.

“I have asked that the road be designed in order to get into the faculty through the alternative space. However, further road development will come with more infrastructural development.

“Within the parts of the faculty buildings, we already have roads paved. So I don’t think it is going to be a challenge. We are trying to concentrate on the administrative and faculty buildings.

“We also want to ensure that we create space for a better ambience within the university,” he said.

The governor explained that the Leisure Park and the Film Village projects were being executed by his administration to add value to the economy of Asaba and its environs.

“The quality of the work at the Leisure Park and Film Village is good, but I am still very worried and as I said to the consultants and the contractor, there is need for them to speed up.

“This is because we would expect that this place will be fully functional by December. You see, the timing of a thing is very important.

“If this place is functional before the middle of December, it’s going to add a lot of value, because that is when people will really make use of the project, which is festive season.

“There has been a delay in the project no doubt, because of COVID-19 and by other things that we didn’t anticipate in this place such as the topography.

“However, we hope and believe that the project will be ready by the middle of December. I also hope to be back here at the beginning of October to see what they are doing,” Okowa said.

The governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, and some members of the state Executive Council, were conducted round the various projects by the project consultant, Mr. Kester Ifeadi.

•PHOTO: Delta Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd right); his Deputy, Mr Kingsley Otuaro (right); and Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muobuoghare (2nd left)) being conducted round ongoing projects at Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, by the Project Consultant, Mr. Kesta Ifeadi (left) when the Governor visited the university to inspect ongoing projects . . . Friday. PHOTO: JIBUNOR SAMUEL.

Update news