By The much-touted street sense and value of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State appears to be in full swing, writes our Features Editor, RITA ENEMURU.
IF the twin cities of Warri and Effurun, especially Warri, in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, groped in gross darkness from 2015 to November 2023, it was courtesy, tongues have wagged, of a certain governor that superintendented over the state who chose to abandon the hen that lay the golden egg! Prior to his ascension to the throne, Warri and Effurun had begun to enjoy some massive nightlife with criminality oozing off the nooks and crannies of the twin cities with the presence of streetlights on major roads, although powered by generating plants from which some elements, who were contracted to fuel them, made some illegal fortunes.
With the seeming non-continuity of such laudable project, criminality suddenly soared as bad boys, armed with jack knives, shot guns and other weapons, began to perpetrate their nefarious activities with the use of commercial tricycles. These boys, capitalising on the pervading darkness on the streets, hired compromised tricyclists to convey unwary passengers who were then halted at dark spots and robbed of their belongings.
With the emergence of a new sheriff in town, the narrative appears to be changing. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the new sheriff, during his campaigns, had promised to revive dying Warri with his much-touted ‘street sense’ as a Warri Boy. The last time a ‘Warri Boy’ was governor, was the time of Emmanuel Uduaghan, a medical doctor who abandoned his hand gloves for politics to engender change.
To prove he is what Warri people called talk-and-do, Oborevwori, on assuming office, swiftly rolled up his sleeves and hit the ground running shortly after his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The evidence is the return of luminous rays in Warri and Effurun, discarding darkness, once again.
Former governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan
Thus, the street of Warri Sapele and Ginuwa Junction was a sight to behold from December 1, with children running around and traders selling their goods with smiles and ease around 8:00 p.m on Thursday, December 21, 2023 when Stonix News took a tour round town. “Up NEPA! was the frenzied shouts that thundered from children and adults alike, when one of the solar powered streetlights lighted up at about 6:44p.m. Others joined to brighten the street in succession.
When asked the reason for the cheerfulness on the faces of the traders and kids, who were busy with their businesses around 8:00 p.m on Thursday, they affirmed that it was the streetlights that had come alive again after so many years of gross darkness.
It has not always been this busy and peaceful as the popular Ginuwa/Warri Sapele Road, particularly, was a hotspot for robbers and pickpockets with rising cases during festive periods.
Stonix News had witnessed cases where people were thrown out of commercial tricycles after they had been robbed blind along the Warri Sapele Road axis. Some others had been stabbed while trying to resist forceful takeover of their mobile phones and valuables from these robbers who had made the popular Ginuwa Junction and Warri-Sapele Road their hideout.
Some petty traders, who spoke with Stonix News, expressed joy for having lights on the street back, which has reduced the activities of marauders to the barest minimum in the last three weeks.
Joy Blessing
One Joy Blessing, a black market petrol seller, said, with ecstasy, that the streetlights have increased the visibility of her business and increased sales for her as she now stays longer into the night as a result of the brightness and liveliness of the road.
She also said in pidgin, while singing the praises of the Governor Oborevwori, that the incessant intimidation from thieves in a bid to steal from traders and passersby has also reduced.
Joy Blessing
“The time wey they never fix the light, if time just reach 7:00p.m, we don dey hurry day pack so that bad boys no go thief money wey we make for that day.
“One day around evening like this, na we see one big motor park for here with these lights. They do not even waste time fixing them. Na so everybody start to pray for the man because pocket pickers kon less. Bad boys wey dey always dey fight for night thief people things join still reduce; you dey come from afar, you go dey see my business and na so people dey buy pass how they dey buy wey light no dey here.
“Because everywhere dey secure now, I dey stay here reach 10:00p.m before I dey pack. Make God bless Gov. Oborevwori and make him do more for us.
“For all the governors wey dey rule this state since, na this man dey do like Ibori. Na so Ibori still do that time. Make God bless am make him fit to do more,” the nursing mother-of-six noted.
Ibrahim Abubakar
A grilled chicken seller, Ibrahim Abubakar, with his stall stationed at Inemejuwa junction along Warri-Sapele Road, also narrated how some buyers have absconded with his money after buying chicken and yam and still came back the next day to get more chicken without paying because of the darkness plaguing the street. He, however, said that the streetlights have brought an increase in sales and security to his place of business.
Hear him: “I have been selling roasted chicken and yam for the past four months here. Before these streetlights were fixed, business was very slow and we used to have situations where people would buy chicken and yam without paying and still come back the next day to do the same thing because it was hard to recognise them. But with the light, it is very easy to recognise our customers even from afar.
“The brightness and liveliness of the road have boosted our sales beyond our imaginations. I must say that the governor is trying. We see what he is doing with the roads too and it is a good thing,” he said.
Another trader, Joy Ofashi, also sang the praises of the governor, but insisted that he do more and make all the streetlights in Warri work so that nightlife will return to the city fully.
Warri Sapele Road
Other respondents, who ply their trades along Warri Sapele Road, included one Nonso who sells building materials, Onyaneze Offor, who sells electrical appliances all at Ginuwa Junction, lauded the governor for restoring nightlife in the streets through the installation of the solar-powered streetlights.
Checks by Stonix News during the week revealed that twin solar-powered streetlights are also being mounted at the median of Effurun-Sapele Road.
Further checks also revealed that Esisi road down to Okere junction has been lighted up on both sides with the solar-powered streetlights to rid the once lonely road of marauders and darkness.
With the installations still ongoing in some other parts, residents of Warri and Effurun, often sobriqueted waffarians, are optimistic that the “Light Up Warri” initiative will permeate every nook and cranny of not only the twin cities, but their environs and the entire state.
It is also expected that while residents must take ownership of the facility by protecting and safeguarding them now that the Oborevwori’s “Street Sense” is making some sense, the government should also put an eye on regular maintenance of the streetlights.
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