Delta Government on Tuesday approved the sum of N456 million to reward the winning state team at the National Sports Festival, tagged, “Edo 2020”.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Asaba, said this is part of the decisions reached at State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting held on Tuesday in Government House.
He said though times a hard, the government decided to fulfill the promise made to the athletes because of the honour they brought to the state and to encourage them to do more.
According to Aniagwu, before the athletes proceeded to Edo 2020, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, just like he did in 2019 in Abuja, promised that each medal will attract some prize.
“As we speak, because of that promise, the athletes repeated the same feat and the governor approved funds to be paid and that is going to cost us about N456 million to settle that”.
Aniagwu, who was in company of his counterparts in Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, and Prince Emmanuel Amgbaduba of the Oil and Gas Ministry, said government also approved N600 million counterpart funds to attract funds from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programmes for 2020 project cycle.
He said that modalities have been put in place to ensure proper allocation of the Aboh-Ogwashi Agro-Indusrial Park to investors through a public private partnership arrangement for effective active take-off of the project.
He said that government also approved the construction of a General Hospital at Ute-Okpu in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state to enable the people of the community and environs enjoy the contributory Health Insurance Scheme without hitches.
He said that the executive council also approved the termination of the contract for the construction of about 50 units of two-bedroom and three-bedroom bungalows along the Ibusa road to enable its completion and to ease the housing challenge in the state capital territory.
He said that government also approved the construction a road and drainage projects behind the State Secretariat to ensure free vehicular movement and flow of flood water after the rains.
He said that government has approved the transfer of the School of Marine Technology, Burutu, from the Ministry of Transport to that of Higher Education for proper supervision and management.
On his part, the state commissioner for Oil and Gas, Amgbaduba, disclosed that government has approved the regulation of siting of petrol and gas stations in the state to ensure safety.
He recalled that on Jan. 22, this year, the state recorded a gas explosion at Agbor which killed about 23 persons.
“Consequently, the governor suspended the siting and construction of petrol or gas stations around the state until a thorough investigations and a committee report is done.
He said that the committee report is out and that the governor has approved the construction of petrol and gas stations with a stringent conditions that must be met by investors.
The Commissioner for Higher Education, Muobighare, disclosed that the National University Commission (NUC) has given the three new state universities accreditation to admit students into certain faculties for the 2021/2022 academic session.
He, however, reacted to a statement credited to the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), University of Lagos Chapter, that there was proliferation of universities in Delta when the state government could not pay salaries in existing university and other tertiary institutions.
Muoboghare said, “it is not in my character to call somebody a liar but that was a lie. I state categorically, Delta state does not owe workers.
“I also state categorically that some of the reason why the national ASUU go on serial strike regularly does not exist in the Original Delta state University, Abraka, and no federal university pays better than the Delta state university, Abraka.
“And I also want to inform you all that what Delta State University, Abraka, is paying is what these staff in the three new universities are earning,” Muoboghare said.