Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the multi-billion naira Delta Steel Company (DSC), Aladja, would commence full operations in 14 months’ time.
The Governor dropped the hint yesterday while addressing leaders and elders of Delta North Senatorial District (Anioma nation) who paid him a solidarity visit at Government House, Asaba.
According to him, when the steel company becomes fully operational, it would add value to his administration’s commitment to job creation for Deltans, disclosing that he had a fruitful discussion with the new owners of the company on revamping of the steel company, during the recent India/Africa Business Summit he attended with President Mohammadu Buhari in India.
“In our visit to India, I met with one of the companies that recently took over the Delta Steel complex, Aladja and I thank God because they are serious minded and committed to reviving the company and I believe that in another twelve to fourteen months the DSC will come alive again with many other companies in the state,” he said, stating, “it (the DSC) is our pride and I believe that when that company comes alive, it will employ people from all parts of Delta State and beyond.”
The governor also talked about the need for Deltans to be security conscious, especially, on the issue of Fulani herdsmen and host communities, noting “there are challenges with cattle rearers and I believe that there are ways of tackling these challenges, I want to plead that patience be exercised and the process must be engaged with intelligence, there are the cattle rearers who are peaceful and the cattle rustlers who have criminals among them that create problems for our communities and that is why you find out that those rustlers are armed and some are involved in the kidnappings that we hear about, so we must be careful and be diplomatic.”
He urged the people to be receptive of investors by making land and other incentives available to encourage investments in their areas while ensuring that they maintain peace and shun any action that is inimical to the growth of the society.
While thanking the people of Delta North for their support and show of solidarity to his administration, Governor Okowa reiterated, “I thank you my leaders, fathers and mothers here present for all the support given during and after the elections and throughout the period we were at the tribunal, it is my hope that the present challenges will be a thing of the past.”
The governor urged the people of Anioma nation to remain united and cooperate with all ethnic nationalities to move the state forward, asserting that the leaders must show examples to their followers so as to engender peace in their areas.
“Having stayed five months in office, many people may not know but without praising myself, I think if someone else was the Governor, it would not have been easy to run the office and stabilise Delta State to the position it is right now,” he said, adding, “it has taken a lot of sacrifice, a lot of input and by the Grace of God, I was able to assemble a crop of people who have been able to work with me to stabilise the state.”
He reiterated, “wherever I have gone wrong I plead with people to forgive me but, all decisions have been in the best interest of the state and it has been a difficult five months and in all these, we were busy wasting time at the Tribunal; I also heard that they (my opponents) may be going on appeal but, I appeal to my brothers that it is enough because, enough is enough and we cannot continue to drag the state behind, we cannot continue to distract the state and it is time to join hands in partnership to build Delta State especially at this time that things are difficult.”
Earlier Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who spoke on behalf of the Anioma Nation, said it was a solidarity and support visit to Governor Okowa and congratulated him on his victory at the election petition tribunal, observing that Deltans overwhelmingly voted for the Governor.
Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of gifts to the governor.
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