Warri — DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said his moving from Asaba, the state capital to the oil city of Warri, in the last few weeks, was to increase the tempo of government activities in the south and central senatorial districts of the state.

Speaking on a phone-in programme on Delta Rainbow Television, DRTV, Warri, he said, "My presence is to first increase the activities around here and it also gives me easy opportunity to carry out on the spot assessment of the things we are doing in terms of development and security."

His words, "Yes, I have been in Warri for more than a week now and since the beginning of this year, we have been in Warri. Across the world today, when you say the name Warri, what comes to mind is a place of crisis, which is not very true. Though there are some security situations, it is not as bad as people are projecting it. I am going to be in between here and Asaba. I will be making my presence here more visible than before," he added.

The governor asserted, "We are doing a lot in the state and there are people who are complaining that we are not doing enough in Warri and Effurun axis. Two, the security situation in Warri axis is not improving the way we expect it to be. In Asaba, there is tremendous improvement. However, in Warri axis, the situation is not improving. I decided that my presence in Warri axis would be more than it used to be."

Investigations by Vanguard showed that in the past few weeks, the governor had, indeed, been inspecting road, school and other projects been executed in Umeh, Warri, Effurun and other towns in the two senatorial districts.

Last week, he was at Umeh in Isoko South Local Government Area to the 7.6-kilometer Umeh road, inspired, last year, by his rare interface with the people on a Facebook page, "Umeh Need Road Forum", UNRF.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace of work by the contractor, Setraco Nigeria Limited, saying, asphalting of the road would commence in three weeks barring uncomplicated weather situation.

On the 18-month target for the completion of the road, Uduaghan was optimistic that it would be met, but explained that N3.625 billion project, had been reviewed by about N800 million because of inclusion of a bridge, which was not captured in the earlier design.

At Enerhen Junction, Effurun, near Warri, which had been been cleared of illegal structures and traders that took over the road, he said, "We want to open up Enerhen Junction and transform the place, what we are doing is a Junction improvement project."

"We are going to do in Warri, Effurun and Asaba also and when you see the place after we would have transformed it, it would be like London," he said, appealing to traders to keep their environment clean at all times.

On why he ordered police to impound heavy-duty machines, vehicles and wares displayed on the walkway of the Refinery Road, Effurun, currently under reconstruction, he said, "I am not happy that people are selling on top of the walkway, heavy -duty machines and vehicles are also displayed on top of the walkway, this is wrong."

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