Banner Online News

By Linus Chima

When those who speak for the government mount the podium, they should illuminate, not obscure.
As journalists, we all know that our duty is to interrogate government statements, not swallow them because the messenger is our friend.

The Honourable Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, is respected in the media community. That respect is precisely why his recent defense of the government needs more circumspection. The reality on the streets of Delta does not match his briefing notes.

Hundreds of thousands of Deltans are feeling the squeeze, from the Federal Government in Abuja and the State Government in Asaba.

If Aniagwu doubts, he should take a simple test: board a Keke around Asaba without protocol.

The conversation in the street:

1. The Cost of Living Crisis:
The government has struggled with this issue with no clear answer to exploitative rents by landlords and agents. There are also no answers to transport costs that have eroded the income of both civil servants and private sector workers.

2. The people need jobs beyond the Steering: While the flyovers in Effurun, Enerhen, Agbor and Ughelli are commendable and visible, what is the impact in agriculture, environment, housing and job creation? In 2026, the proliferation of Keke on every street cannot be presented as a worthy score card of employment strategy.

3. A look at Education and Health:

Multiple sources point to a shortfall of over 10,000 teachers in public schools, with the imprest not reaching school heads who are now burdened with keeping the schools near and functional as well as the admission season pressures. Our hospitals, despite interventions like the facility in Osubi, still face public complaints about extortion and poor service.

4. Has Delta State The FAAC Revenue Actually Improved? Since June 2023, the Federal Government has repeatedly stated that subsidy removal has empowered states financially to do more. The question Deltans ask is simple: where is the multiplication of that increased revenue in their daily lives?

5. A Look At Infrastructure: The people of Delta State acknowledge the roads, drainage and school revamping. But what about electricity infrastructure, water supply, and the information sub-sector? The Delta Broadcasting Service in Warri and Asaba – under the watch of a tested Mass Communication scholar – is in a pitiable state. The premises and studios are decaying, staff morale has waned. Obviously, digitalization should not be an excuse for abandonment.

6. Improving The Blue Economy: It is generally agreed and understood that the Delta State Government cleared pension arrears, a move which deserves commendation. But, government appears to have taken its eyes off the riverine economy. Fisherfolk in our coastal communities still fish with traditional tools, and with little structured support for modern equipment, cold chain or market access.

7. Is The Local Government still in existence? The Local Councils, which should be the closest to the people, are widely perceived as dysfunctional, most of them are run like personal estates rather than development centers.

This administration is not without achievements. The Omadino interventions, the road expansions, the drainage projects to address flooding are real and should be acknowledged.

But governance is not judged by infrastructure alone. It is judged by whether a teacher is in the classroom, whether water runs, whether a young person sees a future beyond Keke, and whether information institutions that should project the state’s story are themselves functional. It is true that Government must not put food on the tables of everyone, but, what people are looking out for are that they have access to a better quality of life at every turn.

If there are two people Deltans expected more strategic thinking from in this administration, they are Kingsley Emu now Secretary to the State Government and Charles Aniagwu.
The expectation remains as we all march towards 2027.

• Linus Chima.