By Sunday Apah
The Chairman of Ughelli South Local Government Council, Chief Dr. Lucky Avweromre, has inspected over 35 ongoing projects and commissioned three brand new 300KVA transformers at the Council Secretariat, Otu-Jeremi, and Ekakpamre communities in the area.
The commissioning and handover ceremony took place during the chairman’s monthly monitoring and inspection of ongoing projects across the council area on Tuesday 21st April, 2026.
The inspection tour was attended by the Delta State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Chieftaincy Matters, Prince Kelly Kalanama Penawou, alongside other government officials.
During the inspection, the delegation also visited several ongoing projects, including two- and three-bedroom housing units as well as agricultural farm initiatives aimed at boosting local food production and improving livelihoods within the communities.
The visit took a festive turn as community members gathered in large numbers with musical bands, canopies, and well-arranged seating to warmly receive and entertain the council chairman and his entourage.
In his address during the event, the Chairman stated that since they were sworn in by the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Dr. Sheriff Oborevwori, his led-administration formulated a Four-Point Agenda of Peace & Security; Unity & Inclusiveness; Innovation & Partnership; and Infrastructural Development to align with the Governor’s M.O.R.E. Agenda.
According to him, “We have pursued these agendas with strong determination. We have prioritized peace-building and inclusive governance, strategized infrastructure, improved the Primary Health Care delivery system, and enhanced Primary Education.
“When this administration came into office twenty-one (21) months ago, we were confronted with two major challenges. First, our brothers and sisters in Okuama Community had just been dislodged and were living in an Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDP Camp) and urgently needed rehabilitation.
“To the glory of God, the Okuama Resettlement Centre, which we constructed, has been completed and commissioned, and our people are now resettled with dignity.
“The second challenge was the dilapidated structures across the Council that required urgent rehabilitation.
“Today, the comprehensive re-roofing and reconstruction of our Administrative Buildings, the Legislative Arm, the Unity Hall, the Council Pavilion, the Chairman’s Quarters, the Vice Chairman’s Quarters, the Leader of the House’s Quarters, and the fencing of the Local Government Secretariat all stand as discernible testaments to this administration’s unflinching commitment to improving infrastructure and making the workplace decent, functional, and conducive for service delivery.
“In our bid to promote agricultural services and ensure food sufficiency, we embarked on the construction of two (2) Green House Projects and the cultivation of four (4) hectares of cassava and maize farms.
“We also addressed other critical gaps in our communities as follows: Purchase of official vehicles for some Principal Officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Head of Works Department); Construction of a Community Resettlement Center, including a Solar-Powered Borehole, Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Toilets in Okuama;
“Renovation and furnishing of the Ughelli South Legislative Complex and Car Park; Purchase of a Toyota Hiace vehicle for the Ughelli South Legislative Arm; Purchase of a Toyota Sienna vehicle for the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ughelli South Local Government Chapter; Renovation of the Primary Health Care Center in Okwagbe;
“Installation of 24-hour Solar Power Energy at the Primary Health Care Center, Okwagbe; Construction of a Security Gate House at the Primary Health Care Center, Okwagbe; Purchase of seven (7) units of Cassava Grinding Machines for Ewu-Otor, Okparabe, and Arhavwarien Communities and construction of an Open Shade Mill;
“Grading and sand-filling of Ewu-Oviri-Olomu Road (3 Kilometers); Construction of a 50-meter Wooden Bridge at Omosuomo Waterside and reactivation of a collapsed Wooden Bridge at Omosuomo Inland; Renovation of the New Administrative Building (Modern Secretariat) at the Secretariat Complex;
“Renovation of the Old Administrative Building (Old Secretariat) at the Secretariat Complex; Renovation of the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi; Furnishing of the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi;
“Construction of Three (3) Bedsitters at the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi; Construction of a Storey Building Security Gate House at the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi; Laying of Interlocking Stones in the Premises of the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi;
“Fencing of the Chairman’s Residential Quarters in Jeremi; Installation of a Solar-Powered Water System at Baba-Ido Primary School, Okwagbe; Sand-filling of the access road to Baba-Ido Primary School, Okwagbe; Completion of the Primary Health Care Center in Okpe-Olomu Community;
“Renovation of Gbaregolor Primary School, Gbaregolor; Sand-filling of the walkway of Gbaregolor Primary School, Gbaregolor; Clearing of road shoulders from the Council Secretariat to Okpare-Olomu Bridge to ECN Junction and from Jeremi to Oginibo; Clearing of the creek waterways (5 Miles) from Omosuomo Waterside to Omosuomo Inland;
“Construction of Drainage and Waste Management and Disposal at Otokutu Market; Purchase of Tables and Chairs for the Pupils and Teachers of Orhowhe Primary School, Edjophe; Purchase of Tables and Chairs for the Pupils and Teachers of Ughevwien Model Primary School, Otu-Jeremi; Award of Scholarships to 21 Students of Delta State School of Marine Technology, Gbaregolor Campus;
“Rehabilitation of the failed portions at Oguname-Ovwor Road and Iwhrekan-ECN Road; Renovation of the NULGE Building at the Secretariat Premises; Construction of Two (2) Green House Projects at the Secretariat Premises; Cultivation of Four (4) Hectares of Cassava and Maize Farms; Fencing and Construction of a Gate House at Otarobo Primary School, Otegbo/Okwemor;
“Renovation of the Vice Chairman’s Residential Quarters; Renovation of the Leader of the House’s Residential Quarters; Construction and Reinforcement of the Existing Secretariat Fence (ongoing); Renovation of the Council Unity Hall (ongoing); Reconstruction of the Council’s Pavilion (ongoing); Supply of Chairs and Benches to Primary Schools in Okparabe and Ewu-Urhobo Communities;
“Furnishing of selected Offices in the Local Government Secretariat; Construction of a Primary Health Care Center in Obi-Ayagha (ongoing); Renovation and furnishing of the Divisional Police Officer’s Residential Apartments; Procurement and Installation of a Transformer and reactivation of Power Supply to the Staff Quarters in the Secretariat Premises;
“Procurement and Installation of a Transformer in Otu-Jeremi Community; Procurement and Installation of a Transformer in Ekakpamre Community. We also embarked upon the execution of various constituency projects across the twenty (20) State Electoral Wards in the Local Government Area.
“Besides, it is pertinent to acquaint you with the fact that we assumed office during the challenging moments of the Okuama/Okoloba Communities’ crisis. In pursuit of our peace-building agenda, we were able to bring the two communities together and equally made them sign a peace accord. Today, there is relative peace between the two communities.
“Furthermore, Ughelli South Local Government is largely an agrarian local government, whose mainstay is farming and fishing. Our targets for speedy grassroots development are being constrained by the challenge of resources.
“Although the resources of Ughelli South Local Government have improved, the greatest percentage of the resources are utilized for the payment of salaries and emoluments of teaching and non-teaching staff of the primary schools, hence constraining the Local Government from fulfilling its critical obligations in terms of projects and programmes. Suffice it to add that Ughelli South Local Government has sixty (60) primary schools with about one thousand two hundred (1,200) teaching and non-teaching staff.
“Moreover, we are confronted with a litany of litigations arising from indebtedness and contractual obligations from previous administrations. To reduce distractions from this sector, we involved the contractors in dialogues and eventually resolved to make monthly installment payments. We have continued to be committed to the monthly payment of these debts arising from the execution of projects awarded by previous administrations.
“Other challenges included various protracted boundary disputes such as the boundary dispute between Ophorigbala Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Gbekebor Community in Burutu Local Government.
“Disputes between Olodiama Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Kpakiama Community in Bomadi Local Government; disputes between Oviri-Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Egodor Community in Burutu Local Government; disputes between Egbo Ideh Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Ayakoromo Community in Burutu Local Government.
“Disputes between Alagbabri Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Bomadi Town in Bomadi Local Government; disputes between Ewu-Otor Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Edjekota Community in Ughelli North Local Government; and disputes between Imode Community in Ughelli South Local Government and Oghior Community in Udu Local Government.
“In tandem with our peace-building agenda, we have been able to bring some of these disputing communities to sign peace agreements, but our desire is to entrench enduring peace between the communities.
“There are also the challenges of environmental factors, which include a marshy environment that makes embarking on projects very expensive; environmental degradation and pollution arising from oil exploration and exploitation; as well as flooding that is fast becoming an annual occurrence.”
He expressed appreciation to the Governor of the State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Dr. Sheriff O. Oborevwori, whom he said gave them a firm foundation and continued to encourage them to remain committed to grassroots development.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Chieftaincy Matters, Prince Kelly Kalanama Penawou, in a chat with newsmen after the commissioning of the transformers and inspection, commended the Council chairman for his drive for the infrastructural development of the Council area in line with the state Government’s M.O.R.E. Agenda.
He advised members of the benefiting communities to make use of the transformers and guard them against vandals.
Mr. Jacob Abitor, President General of Ekakpamre Community, who responded on behalf of the communities, thanked the Council Chairman for the donation of the transformers to boost electricity in the area.
He promised on behalf of others to guard and maintain the transformers against vandals for maximum utilization.
