BEING TEXT OF A PRESS BRIEFING BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, WARRI UVWIE AND ENVIRONS SPECIAL AREA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (WUEDA), COMRADE (CHIEF) OVUOZOURIE S. MACAULAY ON THIS DAY, 9th DECEMBER, 2019.
Gentlemen of the press,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
You are welcome to the inaugural press briefing of the Warri Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA). It is an agency saddled with a mandate to address the holistic development of the Warri and Uvwie Metropolis.
2. Please, permit me to state here, that there are no adequate words of esteem to describe the decision of the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, to establish the Warri Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA), more so, the insight to assemble the crop of Executive and Board to pioneer the affairs of this all important agency. It is a bold, commendable, and patriotic step.
3. As it were, we are not unaware of the concerns of the public raised in view of the Agency’s delay in kicking off with its saddled responsibilities months after its inauguration. The rigors of setting up a framework, securing office accommodation and other bureaucratic processes were part of the hiccups of our pioneering process, which is very normal. However, while we apologize for the delay, let me add that it was not deliberate but a necessary step for our common good.
WUEDA’S UNDERLINING RATIONALE
4. Why is this Agency important? Those who witnessed the oil boom of the early seventies through the eighties, will agree that the Warri metropolis was the hub of industrialization and the perfect definition of what a fast developing city should be. Regrettably, Warri and its environs have become a ‘shadow of itself’ on account of a number of interrelated factors, paramount, of course, was the somewhat intractable Warri crisis which lasted between March 1997 to September 2004.
5. This crisis had militancy in its wake, resulting in the relocation of companies such as the Shell Petroleum Development Company and a host of others. The relocation of International Oil Companies (IOCs) as well as local production companies and a retinue of viable industries to other states in Nigeria, left the economic life of Warri, Uvwie and environs starring down the barrel of insolvency and every other societal arrangements, ranging from the socials to security, followed suit.
6. In the bid to reconcile the differences behind the crisis at that time, the State Government under Chief James Onanefe Ibori, in November 2003 established the Directorate for Inter Ethnic and Conflict Resolution, which was able to douse the lingering embers of that crisis. What then should be the next policy direction if not the rehabilitation and development of the area, which has not witnessed the desired pace of development since the end of the Warri crisis?
7. Today, Fifteen Years (15) down the line, the State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa in his wisdom, established the Warri Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA), to ensure an all encompassing development thrust for the area.
OUR POLICY THRUST
8. The Warri Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency Law, 2019, is an outcome of an executive bill which was passed by the Delta State House of Assembly, which got the Governor’s assent on May 16, 2019. The Act which legally established WUEDA is in consonance and fulfilment of part of the electioneering pacts of the Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa led administration to build a ‘Stronger Delta’ in which Deltans can freely- and confidently- pursue their dreams of prosperity and happiness in a safe and secure environment.
9. Apparently, before now, there was no strong, particularized and institutional base for the development of Warri, Uvwie and its environs. All approaches were ad-hoc. But in the wisdom of the State Governor, there was a compelling need to establish an intervention agency with a Marshall plan, permanent and in his words, ‘…holistic’ in development strategy.
10. The law has established WUEDA as a multifaceted interventionist agency with focus on ecological and environmental remediation, health, economy and social infrastructure of the catchment areas respectively, giving helm to form the bulk of our policy thrust. In this lieu, what we are going to do is to lay a pioneering foundation that we will build on and for succeeding governments to consolidate. Conversely, for now, our emphasis will be on the following areas:
Urban Renewal
11. The Twenty First century is characterized by a flurry of fast paced development. It is in compliance with this drive for globalization, that the state government policy of ‘Urban renewal’ was drafted. WUEDA as an agency, effectively keys into that policy.
12. Urban renewal is most often undertaken to make life more secure and comfortable to the urban dwellers, to attract wealthier individuals to live in that area or to boost economic activities in that area. Urban renewal is a veritable social engineering technique. The fast rate of urbanization has been one of the major challenges which many national and local government authorities in developing nations have to grapple with.
13. Consequently, we aim to ensure that our catchment areas remain livable cities with good road network and recreation opportunities. Even much more significant is our forecast, that success in this sector will not only save thousands of jobs but will also create several others as well as further opportunities for the informal business sector to grow.
14. However, we have identified the main challenges militating against Urban Renewal in Warri Uvwie and Environs to include illegal erection of structures, inappropriate waste disposal, traffic jams as a result of the deplorable state of the roads. We have also identified flooding as a result of blocked drains occasioned by building of illegal and unapproved houses on water channels and natural waterways ; such buildings must give way in order to actualize the Warri of our dream.
Demolition Of Structures/ Sanitation
15. We responded to some questions during our swearing -in reception; my response is still causing ripples and of course, that is the way it is going to go. We cannot put a new edifice on top of a decaying one. If we wish to develop Warri, we need to clean it first and in the cause of doing that, there will be some displacement and sacrifices.
16. For instance, a modern market has been built, but some people chose not to use the market, but to trade on the road side. Of course, we must tell them no because government policy is against trading along the streets and unapproved road side. You have a market. Take a shop and sell your wares there. When I say we are going to step on toes, it does not mean we are going to deprive people of what is their rights. Certainly, we will operate within the ambit of the law.
17. Why should Warri be a city of caravans? That, we must also address. People just get lands and the next thing is to erect caravans and start business. It is not perfect for the aesthetics, sanitation and beauty of any city. Residents of Warri, Uvwie and Environs should be ready for purposeful change, and it cannot come by without making some form of sacrifice. Demolition of caravans in Warri is not new. Most times, it takes barely two to three weeks for them to be re-erected. This time, it will be a different ball game entirely as we will constitute a task-force to monitor compliance.
18. The steps involved in urban renewal include displacement and relocation, site improvement and supporting facilities/infrastructure, disposition of improved land and new construction/development. Effective urban renewal actions are inevitable in our contemporary urban cities if our cities would compare with those of the developed economies or comparable developing economies. To this effect, specific policy issues and strategies must be put in place and conscientiously pursued and implemented.
Roads Rehabilitation And Construction
19. Roads play an important role in connecting people all over the world. It also gives its important contribution to the economic growth of a country. Since roads play such crucial roles in the urban renewal drive, our policy thrust can never be effective without due consideration of the roads question.
20. The Agency has observed the bad state of the internal roads within Warri, Uvwie and its environ. While we apologize for the inconveniences this must have caused residents, we also appeal for your patience and support because we know the governor has a passion for roads construction and that explains why he is popularly called ‘the Road Master’. Our assurance to you is that the governor, in his quest for ‘Stronger Delta’, is poised, through this Agency, to do a complete rehabilitation of the roads in our area of jurisdiction.
Flood Control
21. We stated earlier that the flood situation of Warri, Uvwie and environs, is partly induced by indiscriminate erection of building and blocking of the existing drainage system. But then, the result of this particular action is the annual flooding debacle that has come to bedevil the Warri metropolis. Mindful of this predicament, the Delta State Government has approved a mega project for phased construction of flood control projects. This project is designed to channel flood water directly to the natural water reservoirs surrounding Warri, Uvwie and its environs. On completion of this mega project with construction duration of two years, for the first and second phase, residents of Warri Uvwie and environs should expect an appropriately drained city for their pleasure.
Sensitization And Values Reorientation
22. The quality of any society is directly linked to the importance of the shared values. Our value system therefore is the sum total of our ideas, values, culture, and beliefs. It includes every opinion we hold about life. Each thing we like or dislike, and the importance each one has to us, merges to form our unique value system. Our value system develops through what we are taught and experience, combined with our reactions to them, forming our preferences and our unique perspective on life. Ultimately, every opinion we have in life is based on something in our value system. The valued system we hope to entrench on our people entails a collective desire to own Warri and its environ and to play down ethnic particularism. Taking these areas as ‘our own’ and not ‘their own’, will ultimately drive sustainable development.
23. In view of this, the Agency will organise series of Town Hall meetings, Media Campaigns and sensitization programmes overtime, aimed to achieve proper reorientation of values as it relates to sanitation, collective responsibility, security and mutual respect. We believe as an agency, that if we have developed mutual interest and values, our goal of achieving a ‘Stronger Delta’ will be viable.
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS
24. As part of the powers of the WUEDA as enshrined in the law establishing it, we seek to place the area in good light before investors and organizations in order to recover its lost economic glory.
25. How we aim to do that is not far-fetched. Our value reorientation programmes are also targeting that direction. It is our target that the aesthetic upgrade of Warri and environs will be well reflected on the attitude of residence.
26. One of such ways to achieve this is through the effective implementation of the “Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Law, 2018,” which seeks to prohibit forceful entry and illegal occupation of public and private landed properties, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to public and private landed properties.
27. The law, which came into force in June 2018, prescribes various terms of imprisonment and fines for any person who forcefully and unlawfully trespasses or invades another person’s property. Through this law, we hope to are tackle the ‘Deve’ syndrome that has been an impediment to land acquisition for business and private property development. This is a very important matter because access to land is a crucial factor of production and in attracting and retaining private investors.
PEACE AND SECURITY
28. The place of peace and security in development and urban renewal cannot be overemphasized. The state government is desirous of meaningful peace building. It is a fact of our corporate existence that no real development can take place in the absence of peace.
29. We appeal to every resident to see the peace and security mission as personal. The business of security is all encompassing and all hands must be on deck to achieve desired results. Peace and security is essential in order to attract investors back to Warri.
30. Going forward, it is my earnest hope and expectation that the cooperation and partnership we intend to re-engineer will continue in an even greater measure. I am to add that we will be fair in the discharge of our responsibilities as equity will be our watchword in our relationship with major stakeholders and overall development of our catchment area.
CONCLUSION
31. Let me reiterate that roads and physical infrastructure development will continue to receive priority attention from Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa led administration.
32. We shall remain mindful of the fact that whatever we do without laying a good foundation for development, we would be ‘building blocks on quick sand’. Parents, guardians, teachers and community leaders must rise up to their duties.
33. I appeal to all residents of the Warri, Uvwie and its environs, especially the youth, to be law abiding and refrain from acts inimical to the peace and stability.
34. On our part, on behalf of our dear governor, we pledge to do our best to be deserving of your trust.
35. Finally, we thank our governor His Excellency, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur okowa for giving us the opportunity to serve our dear state in this capacity.
36. Thank you for your time and attention.
37. God bless Delta State!
