A year after the decision was taken to complete the Ogheye Floating Market, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has performed its groundbreaking, pledging to deliver project on or before September 2021.
At the ceremony in Ogheye-Dimigun Community of Warri-North Local Government Area, Governor Okowa said that the ultramodern floating market was being built by Ocean Explorers Contracting Firm and would cost the state government N4.3Bn and is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of next year.
Expressing satisfaction with the level of job done, Governor Okowa who was represented by the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, said that the ultramodern market is suspended on a surface area of over 5000squaremeters on water.
While commending the contractor, Chief Godwin Ebosa, Governor Okowa said that the floating market made up of 80 lockup stores and 96 open-stores will also have other ancillary structures.
‘’By the grace of God, this project is expected to be handed over to the State Government by the third quarter of next year (2021. This project is purely being handled by Delta State Government and it will cost us about N4.3Bn’’ he said.
Accompanying the Governor, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr Chika Ossai, said that the floating ultramodern market was strategic as it will stimulate the local economy of Ogheye community and environs.
Ossai said, ‘’my advice to the community is to make use of the market because we have seen cases where beautiful markets are built but the people will not utilize the facility. The passion of the Governor would have been achieved if they make good use of this market as it ought to be’’
Also speaking, Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) Committee Ag Chairman on Trade and Investment, Hon Austin Chikezie, acknowledged that the project will boost economic activities in the area, even as he commended the state government for budgetary compliance.
The member representing Warri-North LGA in DTHA, Hon Fred Martin, who was present at the ceremony said, ‘’thepeople of Warri-North are happy with Governor Okowa because this project will serve as a rallying point for the people to sell their products ’’.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Implementation and Evaluation, Hon Johnson Erijo said that constant assessments will be done to ensure that the contractors (Ocean Explorers) stuck to approved standards and designs.
On behalf of Ogheye community, Hon Joel Akiri, a community leader, recalled that on March 5 2019 when Governor Okowa visited to commission other projects in the community, he promised to re-award the floating market for construction.
He thanked the governor for being true to his word and for making that dream a reality.
Speaking for Ogiene Women Association (a collection of traders in Ogheye Community), Mrs. Loveth Omaretseye said, ‘’the moribund state of the market in the past had occasioned serious hardship on our members’’ adding, ‘’we are expressing our unalloyed joy to Governor Okowa as we look forward to the commissioning of this life-transforming project’’.
Also present at the ceremony was the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman of Warri-North LGA, Dr. Isaac Wilkie; the Abolutse of Warri Kingdom, Sir Johnson Yemiete; Chief Adams Otimeyin; and the General Manager of Ocean Explorers, Muobor Krubu, who shared similar view