–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –From Editor’s DESK:

THE Director General of Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA), Rt. Hon (Evang) Joan Onyemaechi, also known as “Ada Anioma” seems to have a wand in her hand to turn everything in her care to gold. Thus, she posseses the Midas Touch.

The Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency is a creation of a law enacted by the Delta State House of Assembly, and became operational on 3rd June, 2015, five days after the inception of the Okowa administration.

It is mandated, among other functions, to prepare a Master Plan and a scheme to promote the physical development of the State Capital Territory, and to tackle its ecological and environmental problems.

The State Capital Territory comprises of Asaba and its environs, made up of Oshimili South local government area, and parts of Oshimili North, Aniocha South and Aniocha North LGAs

One of the major impacts of the Agency in the delivery of its mandate is in the area of environmental facelift, which gained prominence after the inauguration of the current Director General, Rt. Hon (Evang) Joan Onyemaechi in August 2020.

Soon after her inauguration, the DG summoned a stakeholders meeting to discuss how to achieve a cleaner and more friendly environment befitting of an oil rich state capital, which Asaba truly is, after which a 21-day ultimatum was issued to residents of the State Capital Territory to begin to tidy up their environment.

Emphasis was on getting rid of illegal structures and shanties to discourage street trading, fencing all undeveloped plots of land on major roads and streets, painting all existing unpainted and new perimeter fences, and adopting unique front view designs for all shops and sales outlets within the State Capital Territory.

By October 2020 when adequate notice had been given to business organisations in the territory, a Joint Task Force made up of the Agency’s officials, those of the State Ministry of Environment, Waste Management Board, Ministry of Information, Bureau of Orientation and the State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation, with the assistance of security agencies, moved into the streets with their personnel to enforce compliance with extant rules on owners of residential and business premises that failed to comply with the 21-day window given.

The operations were herculean, but like the DG would always say, they were made possible by God’s grace and the result was satisfying even to critics, particularly the consciousness that the narrative of doing things as usual has been overtaken by a new order that demands that things must be done right for the good of all.

The Onyemaechi-led DSCTDA has also changed the face of Asaba and its environs with unique beautification projects which have enhanced the aesthetics of the capital city, unarguably adjudged to be one of the fastest growing in the country.

If the applause Onyemaechi receives from women, particularly traders, who now carry out their businesses in a more decent environment in markets within the State Capital Territory are anything to go by, then the insinuations by detractors that the operations of DSCTDA have brought pains to some residents is far from being correct.

Some traders at the Ogbeogonogo Market, Asaba; Midwifery and Anioma markets, Okpanam, told this medium that they never believed that Ada Anioma and her Agency could achieve the level of success recorded because it takes boldness, determination and the political will to get people to comply with most government orders.

They thanked the DG, the Board of DSCTDA and of course the staff of the Agency for a job so far well done and encouraged them to do more to ensure the realization of the set goals of the Okowa administration for the State Capital Territory.

In appreciation of Ada Anioma’s efforts, many organisations, including market groups, professional organisations and youth groups have showered encomiums on her, while she has also received a retinue of awards for doing what most women and even men cannot do.

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