By Deborah Coker
Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta) has called on Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori, to take urgent steps towards completing three critical projects in Delta North.
The projects according to Nwoko who represents Delta North Senatorial District are the Ogwashi-Uku Dam, the Okpai Independent Power Plant step-down, and the rehabilitation of the Onicha-Ugbo–Idumuje-Ugboko Road.
This is contained in a statement by the Sen. Ned Nwoko Media Directorate made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abuja on Wednesday.
The state quoted Nwoko to have made the call during a meeting with the governor on Tuesday.
The lawmaker said the projects represented the heartfelt yearnings of the people of Delta North, who saw them as lifelines for water, electricity, agriculture, and connectivity.
While commending the governor’s strides in infrastructure and human capital development, he stressed that these specific interventions would directly transform livelihoods across the region.
According to him, the Ogwashi-Uku Dam has reached a stage where decisive government intervention is needed to unlock its full potential.
The lawmaker also explained that the dam had already been handed over to the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, thereby paving the way for the next phase of implementation.
“For the dam to achieve its purpose, it requires a standard water treatment plant, a full reticulation network to connect all 66 communities in Delta North, and an irrigation system to support all-year farming,” he said.
On power, Nwoko emphasised that the Independent Power Plant in Okpai was one of the largest in the country, but lamented that its benefits have not been fully felt by host communities and the wider state due to the absence of a 100-megawatt step-down.
He revealed that his motion on the matter had received the full backing of the senate, and his meetings with the Ministers of Power and Petroleum Resources had been “promising”.
“However, both ministers confirmed that the federal government lacks the funds to directly execute the project.
“What we need is the state government’s intervention, either by direct funding or by facilitating credible contractors and investors who can finance the project and recover costs through billing.
“Without this step-down, Delta is sitting next to power but living in darkness,” he stressed.
The senator also stressed the need for the rehabilitation of the Onicha-Ugbo–Idumuje-Ugboko Road, which he described as a vital link for trade and movement across communities.
He pledged to work with the state government to attract funding and ensure smooth execution, insisting that water, power, and road infrastructure remain the most pressing needs of his constituents.
(NAN)