August 11, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has expressed Federal Government’s commitment to redressing inequality in the Niger Delta region.
The ministry, in a statement issued by the Director (Press and PR), Patricia Deworitshe, said Akpabio stated this during the commissioning and handing over of a block of six classrooms at Uwheru Town, Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State to the state government on Tuesday.
Akpabio, who was represented by the Director, Economic Empowerment Department (EED), Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Philip Ndiomu, said the construction of a block of six classrooms was one of the quick win intervention projects in 2017 which served as a palliative approach with the goal of improving the quality of lives of the people of Niger Delta.
He said: “The construction of a block of classrooms in the nine (9) states of the region is geared towards making it accessible to the communities especially the rural areas.”
Describing it as one of the gains and achievements recorded under the change agenda of the Federal Government and the leadership of President Buhari, he noted that two other blocks of classrooms are now completed and also being commissioned at Nneise in Imo and Tombia, in Bayelsa States respectively.
He revealed that all aspects of the projects’ construction were awarded to indigenous and local contractors, noting that the construction process has benefitted the community through the created employment opportunities for the youths of the host and neighbouring communities.
Akpabio stressed that the processes involved in handing over the six classroom blocks to the state government for sustainable operation and smooth running prolonged the commissioning process and commended the Delta State Government under the leadership of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for the cooperation.
The ministry, he said, would continue to give prompt attention to its commitment in the state by commissioning more projects like the construction of the skills acquisition centre in Tuomo xommunity, which is ongoing and will soon be completed to provide a platform for empowering the youths.
According to him, the facility consists of headmaster’s office and teachers’ offices, and furnished and equipped.
In his response, the representative of Delta State, Dr. Steve Igheghe, commended the federal government and the ministry for the laudable project.
He disclosed that the state government would give all necessary assistance to sustain the project by assigning teachers to the community before resumption in September.
