KUNLE ODEREMI analyzes the legacy left behind by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa after eight years in office with less than four weeks to the inauguration of the new administration in Delta State. Okowa had come into office with a S.M.A.R.T. agenda that aimed to improve human capital development, peace building, infrastructure, employment, economic growth, security of lives and property, and other variables that promote the prosperity and wellness of the citizenry.
The SMART agenda has made a significant impact on the lives of the people of Delta State, with Governor Okowa credited for his government’s efforts in initiating multifaceted reforms that center on public finance and accountability, public procurement, urban renewal, public-private partnership, security, law and order, job and wealth creation, sustainable Millennium Goals, contributory health insurance, technical education, small and medium scale enterprises, human capital development and entrepreneurship, signage and advertisement, agro-industrialization, industrial/labour relations and staff welfare, trade and investments, and e-governance. Okowa is referred to as the Road Master and the best performing governor in infrastructure development in Nigeria, with his landmark projects such as the Asaba Airport, Over Rail crossing at Agbor, Ovwor/Effurun-Otor bridge, Agbarho/Orherhe Bridge, Oha/Orerokpe Bridge, and many others evidencing his impact. Okowa’s government has also awarded the contracts for the projects to indigenous contractors to empower the people at the grassroots level.
