Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has charged political appointees in the state to champion the whistleblowing policy of his administration by reporting poorly executed projects in their areas for prompt action.
The governor gave the charge on Wednesday, while swearing-in Chief Ighoyota Amori as his Chief Adviser at Government House, Asaba.
He said video recordings and information on any poorly executed project would help government in blacklisting erring contractors, in addition to putting an end to the abandonment of projects and execution of jobs against the terms of contractual agreements.
He said, “Last week, during an interactive session with the top level public and civil servants, I announced my intention to open a hotline for residents to report cases of sub-standard jobs by contractors, to my office.
“This is an initiative that will assist the government to ensure that government gets full value for the money spent on projects.
“Political appointees must take the lead in this wise by monitoring projects in their localities and advise government accordingly.
“Governance is all about team work and all hands must be on deck to achieve our goal of giving our people the best and making Delta State the envy of other states in the federation.”
Oborevwori added, “it is gratifying to note that the world has noticed the much our administration has achieved in the last 19 months.
” The momentum must be sustained through continuous fiscal discipline, massive infrastructural renewal, youth development and empowerment, and the effective stimulation of the growth of small and medium enterprises.
“We are determined to keep our expenditure within revenue limits and ensure judicious allocation of resources, thus fostering the right conditions for economic prosperity and sustainable development.
The governor, who congratulated Chief Amori on his appointment and inauguration, said the appointment was in accordance with Section 196 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered).
“Chief Amori, as you all may be aware, is one of the founding fathers of PDP in Delta state and has played significant roles in the development of the party both locally and nationally.
“He has also served in various capacities in successive administrations and has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the state.
“This administration will be counting on his political sagacity, as well as his vast knowledge, wisdom and experience in policy formulation and implementation in our mission to advance Delta state through the M.O.R.E Agenda,” he said.
He charged all political appointees to remain good ambassadors of the administration.
“As public servants, all our actions and utterances must support the core values of the M.O.R.E Agenda, which are: innovation and excellence, service and social responsibility, transparency and accountability, opportunity and freedom, and unity and respect.
“I expect every one of us to be guided by these principles to command the respect and support of the people we have been called to serve.
“It is also my earnest expectation that all political appointees maintain constant interface with their wards and local government councils.
“It is your duty and responsibility to acquaint the people with the policies and programmes of the administration and obtain the necessary feedback from our communities.
“This will enable the people to feel the impact of governance, and help the administration to develop need-based programmes tailored to address their yearnings and aspirations.
“We are committed to bringing the dividends of democracy to the grassroots. And all appointees are an essential part of that process.
“Rest assured that your performance will be closely monitored and will be used in assessing your effectiveness,” Oborevwori said.
Responding, Amori, Chief Adviser to the Governor, said he was happy with the appointment and other platforms given to him by the governor to serve the state and the party.
He pledged to offer useful advice that would advance the state in all sectors.
He called on the people of Delta to redouble their support for Gov. Oborevwori in his drive to accelerate the tempo of sustainable socio-economic and infrastructural development of the state.