Stakeholders in Kokodiagbene community, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have said the visit by the executive governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on the inspection of the ongoing concrete road project in the community has ignited their hope that the project will be completed as well as more projects will be allocated to it.

The governor, who was accompanied by the immediate former deputy governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, had visited the oil-rich community on an inspection of the 2.05 kilometer concrete road project on Friday, May 3, 2024.

While addressing the press and members of the community after the inspection visit that was almost marred by the rain, the governor expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the job done so far and assured the community of its completion in no distant time.

Speaking on the inspection visit, a leader in the community, Chief Felix Eguare, the Yirindewei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, while applauding the governor's visit as an assurance of a project that will be completed, also praised the contractor for a superb job well done.

"Well, the visit of the governor, His Excellency, is a good one. I think he's given us more hope that this job is going to be completed. He has assured us that this job will not be an abandoned project. I will gladly believe that the Sheriff's administration is not an administration that will abandon projects. And I think, with his visit today, I think we are still expecting more projects to come.

"Yeah, this project is one of its kind, as far as Gbaramatu is concerned. There is no other project compared to this project. I want to commend High Chief Kestin Pondi; I don't know actually the company itself, but the director of the company, I want to commend him for the perfect job he has done and has put in place for this community. And I'm still asking the government, encouraging, advising the government to give him more jobs, as far as this project is concerned, because he has done a perfect job," he added.

Another community leader, Chief George Timiyan (JP), said the community appreciated the governor for demonstrating interest in the riverine area through the inspection visit, while giving the assurance that the community is behind his government.

"One statement I really appreciate that the governor said, is that the road they are commissioning and inspecting in the urban areas will need to be extended to the riverine areas because it is one of the places that matters a lot to him. We appreciate that. Many governors are not coming to the riverine area, but governor Sheriff did it. So we appreciate him and we want to tell them that we are behind his government."

The stakeholders also appealed to the Governor Oborevwori administration to allocate more projects to the oil-rich community as well as resurrect old abandoned projects in the community especially the cottage hospital.

"This Kokodiagbene community is behind the Delta State government, both in revenue and voting strength," said Chief Timiyan. "It should give us appointments. There are qualified sons and daughters in this community. That will be the dividend of democracy that this community can really benefit from. We also need housing; at least, locate some 200 units, if it is two-bedroom, three-bedroom."

On his part, Chief Eguare said, "Outside this project, there's no other state projects that have been cited in this community, this is the first of its kind. That's why we made our proposal, as contained in our welcome address. We need government presence as oil producing community in Nigeria. We that lay the golden egg should benefit from it.

"Among the proposals is that we have a cottage hospital at the extreme end which was handled by SPDC in recent times; the job has been, in fact almost 60 to 80 percent done. That project, we are appealing to the state government to come and complete that project and handle it. We're appealing to the government to come and complete the project," he appealed.

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