FULFILLING THE SMART AGENDA IN THE MIDST OF ECONOMIC CHALLENGES. BY Chris Odia.

On assumption of office in May 2015, H.E. Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa set the pace with unveiling his ‘Dream Delta’ with the acronym ‘SMART’, wherein he summarised his vision for the State. This was greeted with much enthusiasm by Deltans because it was a demonstration of preparedness for the assignment to lead the State to great heights.

The vision for Delta, which is an acronym encapsulated as SMART stands for

- Strategic Wealth Creation Projects and Provision of Jobs for all Deltans

– Meaningful Peace Building Platforms aimed at Political and Social Harmony

– Agricultural Reforms and Accelerated Industrialisation

– Relevant Health and Education Policies

– Transformed Environment through Urban Renewal

He summarized the SMART Agenda as a programme essentially designed to create jobs, generate and sustain businesses and stabilise families and communities within a framework of equity, fairness, and justice.

While delivering his inaugural speech to the State House of Assembly, which he titled “My Vision for Honest Leadership and Responsible Government” the financial position of the State was not lost on him as he bared his mind on the obvious challenges that would crop up while trying to fulfill his promise to the electorate. In identifying the economic/financial challenges faced by the State, he listed them to include; drop in revenue receipts from Federal Government, huge monthly wage bill, revenue bonds and indebtedness to commercial banks, very low Internally Generated Revenue among others.

According to him, based on the position of things as at then, the State would have to borrow to pay salaries. He concluded by saying: “This is the dilemma that we face as we strive to deliver on our campaign promise of prosperity for all Deltans’. Not minding, the situation on ground, his optimistic personality refused to renege on the contract with Deltans and he made a heart-touching remark, quoted hereunder:

“I am told that when written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters — one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.

I see more opportunities in our current economic predicament than the threats it poses. Times of prosperity can easily breed complacency, dull our sensitivity and foster an indulgent lifestyle steeped in corruption. But because necessity is said to be the mother of invention, periods of adversity often task our creative abilities, engender discipline, and imbue us with the capacity to pull together as a family”.

The SMART Governor hit the ground running when he immediately sponsored some bills with the aim of actualising his Dream Delta.

They included; Delta State Contributory Health Commission Bill, 2015, Technical and Vocational Education Board Bill, 2015, Asaba Capital Development Agency Bill, 2015. These were considered to be low hanging fruits that Deltans needed to harvest urgently.

The SMART approach is been carefully implemented in all sectors though there are yet more grounds to be covered.

The Governor’s interest in raising skilled manpower in different sectors, among the youth population led to revamping of Technical schools in the State and setting up of Job creation office that has been raising entrepreneurs among previously unemployed youth. The decision to establish a Teachers Professional Development Institute is another case in point in line with the vision

The issue of salary and pension payment is been handled adequately based on available funds. The backlog of pension/gratuity are gradually being paid and the monthly financial support to Local Government for payment of salary remains on course.

While some States falter in prompt payment of salaries, the SMART Governor has been regular in salary payment, not minding the initial fear as captured in the inaugural speech. He has worked tirelessly to sustain peace among warring communities and succeeded in persuading militants to stop oil pipeline bombing.

The State Contributory Health Bill is being implemented to assist every Deltan to access quality healthcare from chosen hospitals whenever the need arises.

The Teaching Hospital in Oghara and General hospitals in Bomadi, Asaba among others are being upgraded to meet the needs of the populace; this is work-in-progress, with a view to attending to more primary and healthcare centres in the State.

Several kilometers of road networks have been constructed/reconstructed in the State, all aimed at bridging the infrastructural gaps and linking communities to urban centres. The ongoing construction work in Asaba would liberate the City from the flood disasters earlier experienced with a view to appropriately channel the water away from homes and streets.

Obviously, Gov. Okowa has managed the State to the best of his knowledge and available resources. Though his prudent management approach has been misunderstood by the coinage ‘egho aria’, the Governor has remained unperturbed. He is gradually attending to the concerns in different sectors of the economy, which so many have wrongly summarized as being clueless.

Assuredly, he has proven to be a good manager of resource and would systematically win the hearts of critics and naysayers as 2019 elections draw near.