..First Anniversary In The Second Term
By Wilson Macaulay
On July 3, 2020, the first batch of eight commissioners, which included the Delta State Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, marked five years on the saddle in the administration of the state, since they were sworn in by the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa.
Since first assuming office in 2015, Augoye, has been able to interprete the SMART Agenda initiatives of the state governor who has been nicknamed “Road Master” in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in road construction spanning over 407 roads, and several new drainages spread across the state.
A careful appraisal of five-year developments in Delta paints a clear picture of why Governor Okowa is nick-named “Road Master”. But then, there is an ‘unseen hand,’ who has tacitly interpreted and astutely implemented the smart initiatives of the state governor.
Augoye, the unseen hand and brain behind the “Road Master” in Delta, is a thoroughly bred and well put together politician from Ugbokodo in Okpẹ Local Government Area of the State.
On becoming Commissioner, Augoye, whose education spans from his community primary school to the great University of Benin (UNIBEN), where he bagged his Master’s degree in Public Administration, immediately revolutionized the Delta State Ministry of Works.
In his commitment to seeing that Governor Okowa succeeds in his road infrastructural strides across the state, the very unassuming gentleman will always do everything possible to ensure projects are delivered on time and to make sure Deltans get value for their money.
With how well Augoye has implemented the administration’s initiative, five years later, we can simply look back and Augoye has done quite well in delivering the campaign promises of the administration and more.
Training for civil engineers
at the beginning of every year in Delta, in the past years of Augoye becoming Commissioner for Works, he has made training and retraining of civil engineers at all cadre in the Ministry a top priority. Augoye has organized a yearly training workshop for the civil engineers aimed at sharpening and updating the skills of field engineers with modern technology in road construction. The training program is now code-named in the Ministry as “The James Augoye Training and Workshop for Civil Engineers”. Indeed, this will become one of the standing legacies of Augoye in the Ministry Projects.
Indeed, the administration has stayed true in making more communities accessible, with roads that are very vital to the socio-economic development of the people. Construction of roads in the state under the watch of Augoye is all-inclusive as no local government in the state had not witnessed footprints of road construction.
The people of Obomkpa, Issele-Uku, Onicha-Olona, Idumuje-Uno, Ukwu-Nzu, Issele-Mkpitime, among others in Aniocha North as well as Irri, Oleh, Ozoro, Iyede, Emede, Owhelogbo, Ellu, Ofagbe, Ikpide-Irri all in Isoko North and Isoko South and Ughelli, Amekpa, Afiesere, Ofuoma, Oteri, Abraka, Orerokpe, and several other communities in Delta central all have stories to tell of footprints in road construction into their various communities.
The story is not different in riverine communities of Burutu Town, Ogulagha, Yokri, Obotobo, Sokebolo, Okerenkoko, Ogidigben, Koko, among others while also constructing feeder roads, the administration has continued construction works on the Ughelli Asaba dualization project. A trip to the project site along the Sector C which includes from Asaba to Oloh-Ossisa, reveals massive construction work currently ongoing as well as the Sector A from Ughelli to Isoko.
Under Augoye’s watch, the Delta State Government has built over 400 roads, and counting. Legacy project: Asaba stormwater erosion control project, Perhaps the biggest achievement of the administration will no doubt be in the area of flood control in Asaba, the State capital.
Embarrassed by hardish
