As activities towards the 2015 elections in Delta State intensify, governorship aspirants in the state have been advised to weigh seriously their preparedness to step into the large shoes of the incumbent, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, when he completes his tenure in 2015.
The Executive Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, who made the assertion in Warri at the conclusion of his state-wide inspection of the board’s zonal offices and different ongoing projects, noted that Uduaghan was establishing a firm foundation for “Delta State beyond oil”, which only a serious-minded leader could sustain.
Thomas commended the governor for the mature manner he has been piloting the affairs of the state and reassured of the commitment of board to this long term development initiative of the Uduaghan administration through service.
The DBIR boss asserted that the governor has “not only fulfilled his campaign promises to Deltans through the effective delivery on his three-point agenda of peace Peace and Security, Infrastructure Development and Human Capital Development, but has gone ahead to building the capacity to drive his Delta Beyond Oil vision.”
Speaking with newsmen in Warri after the inspection of all the DBIR Zonal Offices under construction across the state, the DBIR boss expressed satisfaction over the way and manner the governor has been piloting the affairs of the state.
He said the high standards that have been set by the governor in all aspects of his development agenda would become very glaring when he would have completed his tenure that any successor that fails to measure up would be greeted by grumbling among the people.
“Two years to end of his tenure, Uduaghan has already surpassed the target he set for himself at the commencement of his government,” the revenue board chairman stressed.
To him, the visible infrastructure “and improved human capacity of Delta citizens are eloquent testimonies of a man who has the vision, dexterity and knack to deliver the dividend of democracy beyond promises made.”
He explained that Uduaghan has fulfilled all aspects of his electoral promises to the people.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Thomas said: “Well, if you ask me about the government’s development of infrastructure, I will not stop there. The three-point agenda of His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON), is well known to everybody – peace and security, infrastructure and human capital development. I want to say that as at this moment, which is two years to the end of his tenure, he has concluded and surpassed that agenda.
“What he is doing now is building capacity for the Delta Beyond Oil Vision. He has not only developed physical infrastructure, he has not only provided peace and security, he has not only provided the human capital development, he has completed that and what he is doing now is building capacity to drive the Delta Beyond Oil vision. He is clearly one man who has the interest of the people of this state at heart.
“What I want to say is that for anybody who is to come after His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan will have a big shoe to wear because the standard he has set is so high that if you don’t meet up, the people will begin to grumble. If you look at our schools if our schools fall short of the standard after now, people will stone the person. The roads that are being constructed, the bridges that are being built, the human capacity that is in place.
“If any governor comes in today and is not able to meet the standards, I think the people will grumble. So I want to say that not only being a Governor, the person must be prepared to work and work.”
Thomas, therefore, appealed to the people of the state to continue to support the present administration in all its activities to enable it consolidate on its achievements.
ThisDay.
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