PROPELLED BY THE HONEST DESIRE TO REPOSITION ITS CAPITAL CITY, THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT, YESTERDAY, ENGAGED THE TRADITIONAL LEADERS OF ASABA PEOPLE TO BRAINSTORM AND DIALOGUE ON THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS OF BEAUTIFYING THE TOWN WITHOUT UNDERMINING ITS RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY.
A FALLOUT OF THE MEETING HELD AT THE PALACE OF THE ASAGBA OF ASABA, PROF. CHIKE EDOZIEN, WAS THE CONSENSUS THAT A CONSPICUOUSLY STANDING STATUE OF NNEBISI (THE ACKNOWLEDGED FOUNDER OF AHABA) WILL BE ERECTED AT THE EZENEI ROUNDABOUT IN THE STATE CAPITAL CITY. THE STATUE WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETELY ERECTED BEFORE DECEMBER 25, 2016, WILL SLOWLY ROTATE FOUR TIMES A DAY WITHOUT BEING NOTICED.
THE STATE COMMISSIONER, DIRECTORATE OF CULTURE AND TOURISM, BARR. ERNEST OGWEZZY, WHILE CONVEYING GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS TO THE CHIEFS EXPLAINED THAT THE DISCUSSION WAS IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT’S AVOWED RESPECT FOR THE CULTURAL VALUES AND BELIEFS OF CITIZENS IN THE STATE.
“THIS VISIT IS IN RESPECT OF THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE EZENEI ROUNDABOUT. WE CAME HERE TO CONSULT WITH THE PALACE CHIEFS ON THE TYPE OF STATUE TO BE AFFIXED DURING THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE ROUNDABOUT. WE HAVE CERTAIN THINGS IN MIND, BUT WE FELT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE CARRIED ALONG IN ANYTHING GOVERNMENT IS DOING IN THE AREA”, OGWEZZY SAID.
THE COMMISSIONER OBSERVED THAT IT IS THE DESIRE OF THE STATE GOVERNOR, DR. IFEANYI OKOWA TO ENSURE THE SPEEDY DEVELOPMENT OF ASABA INTO ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES IN NIGERIA, ADDING THAT IN NO DISTANT TIME, PEOPLE WILL NO LONGER PASS THROUGH THE TOWN WITHOUT STOPPING BY TO HAVE A FEEL OF ITS BEAUTY.
ON HER PART, THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO GOVERNOR OKOWA ON BEAUTIFICATION, OLOROGUN (MRS.) GRACE AGHOGHOVBIA ASSURED THAT ALL REVERED STATUES OF ASABA PEOPLE WILL BE RETAINED AND, WHERE NECESSARY, REPOSITIONED TO ESTABLISH THEIR TRUE VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE TO THE TOWN.
EARLIER, THE IYASE OF ASABA, CHIEF PATRICK ONYEOBI REGRETTED THAT ASABA HAS LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT SINCE IT BECAME THE STATE CAPITAL ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, CALLING ON THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO SPEED UP ALL PROCESSES THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS GIVEN A FACELIFT THAT GOES BEYOND MERE WISHES.
HE INSISTED THAT THE CITY REMAINS THE MIRROR THROUGH WHICH VISITORS ACCESS THE STATE AND JUDGE ITS OTHER PARTS, ADVISING THAT THE FESTERING ECONOMIC SLUMP SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR ITS SLOW PACE OF DEVELOPMENT.
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