The Executive Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR), Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, has said that anyone planning to succeed Governor Emmanuel Udughan of Delta State must be prepared to wear the big shoe that he will leave behind.

Hon. Joel-Onowakpo stated that Governor Uduaghan has not only fulfilled his campaign promises to Deltans through the effective delivery of his 3-point agenda of peace and security, infrastructure and human capital development, but has gone ahead to building the capacity to drive his Delta Beyond Oil vision.

Speaking in Warri on Thursday, July 11, 2013, shortly after the inspection of all the DBIR Zonal Offices under construction across the state, the DBIR boss expressed satisfaction over the way and manner the Governor has been piloting the affairs of the state.

“We’ll, if you ask me about the infrastructure of the state government, I will not stop there. The 3-point agenda of His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan (CON), is well known to everybody-peace and security, infrastructure and human capital development. I want to say that as at this moment, which is two years to the end of his tenure, he has concluded and surpassed those agenda.

“What he is doing now is building capacity for the Delta Beyond Oil Vision. He has not only developed physical infrastructure, he has not only provided peace and security, he has not only provided the human capital development, he has completed that and what he is doing now is building capacity to drive the Delta Beyond Oil vision. He is one man who has the interest of the people of this state at heart,” he stated.

While saying that there is no aspect of the promise of the present administration that is not yet fulfilled, he pointed out that the visible infrastructures and improved human capacity of Deltans are eloquent testimonies of a man who have the vision, dexterity and knack to deliver the dividend of democracy beyond promises made.

“What I want to say is that for anybody who is to come after His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (CON) will have a big shoe to wear because the standard he has set is so high that if you don’t meet up, the people will begin to grumble. If you look at our schools if our schools fall short of the standard after now, people will stone the person. The roads that are being constructed, the bridges that are being built, the human capacity that is in place. If any Governor comes in today and is not able to meet the standard, I think the people will grumble. So I want to say that not only being a Governor, the person must be prepared to work,” Hon. Joel-Onowakpo stated.

He therefore, appealed to the people of the state to continue to support the present administration to enable it consolidate on its achievements.

Speaking further on the pace of infrastructure development for his agency across the state, he reaffirmed that no DBIR Office will be in a rented apartment in the next few years.

He stated that it was in line with this desire that the Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan gave the approval for the on-going construction of the Zonal Offices across the state.

“We felt that it is not just enough being a revenue collection agency and being in a rented apartment.”

He said the tour was to ensure that what the Board conceived is what is going on on site. “We’ll, you have been with us. I cannot say on my own that I am impressed, you should be able to say that for yourself. But the regional projects that were started two months ago some of them have been roofed, some of them are in roofing stage and they are going to deliver some in August.

“The whole idea is that we want those offices occupied by the staff of the Board of Internal Revenue and the focus is that if we continue with this process, in a space of another four years, no Delta State Board of Internal Revenue office will be in a rented apartment. That is the focus, that is the objective.”

Hon. Joel-Onowakpo said that the on-going transformation in the Board will be enhanced with all the offices situated on their permanent site as there are some information technology equipment s that cannot be mounted on a rented building, adding that revenue generation would continue to be on the increase with all that the state government is putting in place.

The Inspection tour which was concluded with the visit to the gigantic new DBIR Headquarters under-construction in Warri, saw the members of the Board visiting the Delta North Senatorial District in ASABA and DBIR Zonal Office in Agbor, IKA South Local Government Area.

Others visited were DBIR Zonal Office in Effurun, UVWIE Local Government Area, Zonal Office at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area and DBIR Zonal Office at Ughelli and DBIR Zonal Office at Kokori, Warri North Local Government Area.