Can we meet you, Sir?
My name is Hon. Ngozichukwuka Esenwah, member representing Oshimili North Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba.
Sir, Can you mention some key motions or bills you have sponsored that directly impacted the people of Oshimili North?
First and foremost, I will say that being a first-time legislator, one needs to learn the rules. A major achievement I can say I have attained is effective collaboration with my colleagues. We are twenty-nine members in the House, led by the Speaker, a very decent gentleman, and we work collectively so that no one acts alone. We began first by building friendships and networks. So, I can say, in all modesty, that in my two years in the House, I have been able to build a coalition of friends such that virtually every motion and bill that would impact development in the State—particularly in Oshimili North—I have taken part in it.
I can also say, with all modesty, that in every known bill or important motion that has been debated in the House, the voice of Oshimili North has been heard, and I have contributed meaningfully, to be more specific, there are a number of bills I have co-sponsored. No one particular bill stands out because we have passed between ten to eleven bills in the House. My signature appears in all the bills, and there are co-sponsors as well. As I said, it is a learning curve since we are new, and for one to be considered worthy to co-sponsor a bill is also an achievement. If you permit me to mention a few, you will see bills such as the “Child Rights Law”, which will now be signed into law. It was originally made in 2008, and we have done some amendments to it. It’s a very important bill that strengthens the legal framework for the rights of children all over the State. I am sure we have children in Oshimili North too.
There was also a bill concerning the prevention and destruction or vandalization of public properties. You will notice that our local government is highly urbanized. In Okpanam, for instance, there are many reckless drivers all over the roads. We have made what is called road furniture—these are road signs placed in various locations—but some careless drivers damage and go away with them.
It costs a lot to build and replace them with tax payers money. Therefore, there is a bill in the making to ensure that people do not destroy government properties and go unpunished. There is also a bill on violence and essential services, which addresses issues affecting safety and order in our communities. There is an amendment that has been proposed recently, which is a very good one.
The bill ensures that the police authorities do not arrest people indiscriminately or based on their own assumptions. A number of our people, consequently—especially ladies—have been arrested from time to time, and when asked, the police said they were prostitutes and night workers. We noticed a lacuna in the law, so I proposed an amendment, and I found that the Speaker and my colleagues also found it worthy. Many people have also told me personally about that issue.
We also have a bill to establish the Delta State Domestic Service Providers Law. As you know, many families have domestic workers who live with them in their homes. Most of the time, they don’t profile them properly, they get them from various places, maybe through agents, to help them look after their children. So there is a bill in the making, and I am also a co-sponsor of that bill.
We want to ensure that we strengthen the laws in that area to protect them and to ensure that they are not discriminated against. There is an amendment that has been proposed recently, which is a very good one, it will ensures that the police authorities do not arrest people because of their mode of dressing and their assumptions about them. A number of young people, including ladies, have been harassed time and again that’s why the amendment was necessary in order to protect our youths and human rights too.
There was also a bill to safeguard people living with HIV and orphans from discrimination, to prevent such acts. You know that among us, there are people who have suffered from Polio, and as a result, they have challenges moving around — and they suffer lots of discrimination and stigmatization.
We want to see that we strengthen the laws in that area to ensure that they don’t discriminate against them. There is also the bill for the Delta State Merit Award. We want to ensure that this bill seeks to recognize persons who have contributed to the development of the state, one way or the other — to recognize them, just like you have the National Merit Award system.
The latest one, which I am also a co-sponsor of, is the one that deals with tenancy law and recovery of premises. The law on these matters dates back to 1977, and now a lot of things have changed. The lead sponsor and I are co-sponsors of that bill. We intend, to streamline lots of issues that have to do with Rent and Agent charges over and above what the tenants or occupiers require, and also address the bureaucratic delays that often overwhelm most citizens. It is an important bill that will impact well on my constituents.
There is also the bill that has to do with security. The vigilante system, as you know, is outdated — composed of people doing things the way they like, and often they are not paid. They depend on stipends that come from anywhere. This new law is designed to reform that. We plan to recruit about 30 trained persons — men and women — in every federal ward. That means, in my constituency, we are going to recruit about 300 persons, and they will live in their communities to assist in policing.
These officers will be paid by the state government, and they will help to improve the intelligence network. In fact, what we did was to amend the Delta State Security Corps Law, which was enacted some time back. It was amended to give more strength so that our neighborhoods can be safer and our farmers can peacefully go to their farms, ensuring they can produce food in a peaceful and regulated environment. The bill has already been passed awaiting the governor’s ascent.
Sir, Infrastructure development remains a major concern for the residents, especially in areas like Igbuzo, Illah, Ebu, etc. What specific projects have you attracted to your constituency?
Well, a number of projects have come to our constituency, and we must be grateful to His Excellency, Sheriff Oborevwori who has been very magnanimous. He has a very big heart. The last time I was in Akwukwu-Igbo, I was trying to let my constituents know that if you relate with figures, the budget system contains a lot of figures I will say we are privileged in Oshimili North and without equivocation we rank top ten in the state. We pull out from the budget.
So, if you look at Igbuzo, our town is highly urbanized. Like I said, our local government is highly urbanized. Close to 70% of our local constituency is urban. Igbuzo is big, Okpanam is big, because we are close to the capital, we seem to draw from what comes to the capital. I think the Governor is quite conscious of that and has been very magnanimous and generous to us. For instance, in Akwukwu-Igbo, Ebu, and Illah, several projects have been executed. A lot of culverts were done in those communities, and the road construction in Akwukwu-Igbo has greatly improved.
Recently, I was very glad when I received information that the contractor handling the Achalla-Igbuzo road project had resumed work. Close to two kilometres has been done from the Asaba end of that road. Most of the drains and concrete work have been done and we are hoping that by the next rainy season we should be at Achala if not Igbuzo proper, the Achala–Ibusa Road that we’ve always talked about will also be completed. In Igbuzo, Umejei road is under reconstruction and expansion with drains on both side. It’s going to be a brand new road at the end of the day. The state government is also constructing several internal roads to ease movement within the town and renovation of the General Hospital is ongoing.
In Illah, the road from the Police Station down to the Anglican Church and other adjoining streets has been completed. Most of the drains and culverts have been done, and the contractor was only waiting for the dry season to begin asphalt overlay. The road linking Illah to Ebu has been receiving serious attention from the government, with reconstruction and expansion works already ongoing. The project was delayed by the last rainy season, but I can confirm that work has now resumed.
The contractor handling the Illah–Ebu–Akwukwu-Igbo road has been very cooperative. His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, has shown great commitment by ensuring that work continues despite the harsh economic conditions. I must also commend the Ministry of Works and the supervising engineers for their efficiency. The road linking Akwukwu-Igbo to Illah has reached an advanced stage. In fact, most of the low-lying portions have been sand-filled, and the contractor has gone back to site. Significant infrastructure is also being implemented at Ebu, where the government has completed the town’s major internal roads. The people of Akwukwu-Igbo are particularly happy about the pace of work and the quality being delivered by the contractor.
In Okpanam, the construction of the bypass from the Asaba end has opened up the area and boosted property values. The state’s investment in Okpanam has also attracted private developers, and several roads are currently under rehabilitation.
It is safe to say that in the last two years, Oshimili North has experienced one of its most progressive periods in recent history — a testament to good governance and responsive leadership. We also have the approval for the construction of Ken Azinge Street in Okpanam,Frank De Don street as well as the Ugwu Nwosu road and other adjoining streets. These projects have been approved and are ongoing. The Federal Road linking Issele-Azagba through Okpanam has also commenced. The link road connecting Issele-Mkpitime to Akwukwu-Igbo was completed last year, while the road connecting Igbuzo to Okpanam and other parts of Oshimili North is ongoing.
If you travel through Igbuzo, you’ll notice that the town has undergone major infrastructural upgrades. For instance, roads such as Alli Isichei Street, Palm Street, and several others in Okpanam have been re-awarded for reconstruction. Some of these streets are already completed, while others have been approved for construction.
The road at the back of the Catholic Church is one of them. People in the area are also benefitting. We have the project behind Father Anoka’s house that has been completed. Even the construction of the Okwe–Orogodo Road, the contractors have done very well. Nkwuisi Street in Ibusa and Anusi Nwajei Street in Okpanam are also ongoing. In spite of all these, there have been other roads executed in Okpanam, Ibusa, Achala, and Akwukwu communities.
I say a very big thank you to His Excellency and those managing the works, We have one major one that connects the towns and communities together. We also have the Ilo – Ebu Road, the drainages have been done, but the contractor is also asking for a review of the cost. The Governor has put the contract up for re-awarding recently. Based on progress made on a daily basis, I have no doubt the construction will be fully completed. We are sure that the level of work has gone far. The Governor has given his approval, so we expect to see significant progress soon.
We also have the Okpanam -Ugbolu Road, which is another major road project. The length of the road is 11.75 kilometers, and the flag-off was done a few days ago by the governor which is going to connect Ugbolu to Okpanam and with that it is going to connect 5.3km road already flag-off by Governor Jackson Adeleke commissioned sometime last year that is the one connecting Ibusa, when the recent flag off road of 11.75km road is done it will now connect Ibusa – Okpanam -Ugbolu to Akwukwu-Igbo, so people can now travel from Ibusa to Akwukwu-Igbo, the local government headquarters without passing through Asaba within 10 to 15 minutes. It is a major milestone in the history of infrastructural development in Oshimili North Local Government Area, We never had it so good like this before.
We have also done roads such as Allor Street and Pastor Gobby Street, which have all been approved, and some have already commenced construction. Of course, Anudu Road in Okpanam has also been approved for construction.
On the federal side of the Ugbolu Road, we have attracted about 1.52 kilometers, making a total of 3.04 kilometers with street lights. Half of that road has been completed. Within that area of the federal housing scheme, we have also attracted two developers — Godbless Engineering Services and Mobito Limited — who are going to deploy between 400 and 500 housing units in that ward. These two developers have brought new life to the area, and the roads leading to those locations have also been tarred. You can verify — Apart from that, the state government has completed the road from Legislators Quarters to Okpanam Road, which was delivered about six months ago. From the ongoing projects in Igbuzo, Okpanam, Illah, and Ebu, it is evident that Oshimili North is fast transforming into one of the most developed local government areas in Delta State.
The combined efforts of the state government, federal agencies, and local representatives continue to bring visible progress, improving the quality of life for residents and fostering renewed confidence in governance. We must thank the Governor for that.
From the NDDC side, we have attracted about 1,274 solar street lights to our constituency. Out of this number, 787 have already been installed in Okpanam, Ugbolu, and Illah, while the remaining 580 and more are still coming for Ibusa, Ebu, and Akwukwu-Igbo, the same level of development is ongoing. If you look critically at infrastructural development, most of the projects coming into the constituency are collaborative efforts between the state and federal governments. As a legislator, my duty is to make sure projects are sited appropriately and to represent the needs of my people effectively. I engage regularly with the executive arm to ensure that these projects reach my constituency. From all indications, Oshimili North has benefited immensely from the “MORE” agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. The ongoing projects across Igbuzo, Illah, Ebu, and Akwukwu-Igbo reflect the adminis2 updates availabletration’s commitment to infrastructure renewal and community development.
Let’s talk about youth empowerment. What programs or initiatives have you put in place to support young people in your Constituency?
In the first place, there is an international-based NGO called Technoserve, an America base, which I brought down to Delta State in 2019. Since then, we have done a couple of training and skill acquisition programs for young entrepreneurs and artisans. We have had several graduation ceremonies, and I am very happy to see many youths from our constituency actively involved in these initiatives.
Another key focus is youth empowerment. We have implemented several skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training programs to empower young people in Oshimili North. Among these is the first phase of our partnership with NDE and other technical institutions. Beyond that, we also established a skills acquisition center called ‘The Step Up Project’, which began in 2019. This initiative has successfully trained hundreds of youths in various trades, including fashion design, ICT, catering, and carpentry.
We have also facilitated job placements for many of our constituents in both public and private sectors. We want to ensure that our youths get involved, but often, many are not interested. However, those who are serious have benefited greatly from the various programs we introduced in Oshimili North. The first phase of our empowerment programs under the “Step-Up Project” helped to train many youths in different vocational skills. They came from communities like Ibusa, Illah, Okpanam, Akwukwu-Igbo, and others.
We have successfully trained more than 400 young people (including graduates) in different trades such as ICT, tailoring, catering, and hairdressing. After the training, we supported them with starter packs to enable them to begin their businesses. Access to credit has also been addressed through our collaboration with the Delta State Microfinance Bank.
In my constituency office, I have continued to provide assistance to youths who show commitment. For instance, in the last batch, we trained about 45 participants, and out of that number, 30 received laptops, which were distributed to the best-performing trainees. This has continued to encourage others to take their training seriously and apply the skills they have learned. We have also engaged about five other groups that we brought together for specialized training in technical areas.
Sir, Can you tell us How the Constituency Project fund was Properly Utilized ?
Still in line with what the people have been saying about my performance, I can confidently say that the constituency funds have been used transparently and judiciously .For instance, we organized a program for graduates, during which they received laptops (CAP laptops) for their research and small business start-ups. We also empowered widows, artisans, and traders across Ibusa, Okpanam, Akwukwu-Igbo, and Illah. Some of them benefited from skill acquisition programs, while others received grants to support their small-scale businesses. Over the past few years, we have had remarkable progress. Some of the beneficiaries have testified that the empowerment programmes changed their lives.
In Atuma, for example, we supported a young man called Ocheche to establish a project, and we partnered with him to train others. Some of the participants have since gone on to train others, spreading the benefits across the constituency. We have carried out multiple phases of empowerment programs in partnership with state and federal intervention agencies to ensure that no community in Oshimili North is left behind.
Sir, Education and welfare are essential aspects of development. What effort have you made to improve the standard of education in your Constituency?
Education remains a major priority for me. Through our constituency scheme, we have supported schools in various ways. We noticed that many of our schools lacked proper infrastructure, so we took steps to provide assistance. For example, in Ibusa and Illah, we distributed educational materials to pupils in public primary and secondary schools. Last year, the Honorable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education also provided us with school materials, which we distributed to schools in our area.
Some students have benefited from scholarships we facilitated through our constituency intervention. In the last two years, we have helped many students secure admission into tertiary institutions by providing financial support and helping them access available slots.
We have also distributed thousands of notebooks and textbooks to schools across the constituency, including public schools in Asaba, Ibusa, Illah, and Akwukwu-Igbo.
In addition, ₦2 million was set aside to support students in tertiary institutions, and we have records of those who benefited. These are some of the efforts we’ve made to improve the educational sector in our constituency.
Sir, Security is one area residents of your constituency are concerned about. What effort has been made to enhance community safety and reduce crime?
Security remains a top priority. We have taken several steps at both the local and state levels to ensure the safety of lives and property. You will recall that a new security law was passed some time ago by the state government, and we have been working closely with local security outfits to ensure effective implementation.
In that regard, several patrol vehicles have been provided to support local vigilante groups and other approved security agencies in Oshimili North. These measures have greatly improved surveillance and response time to incidents. We have also engaged the police and other law enforcement agencies in continuous dialogue to ensure the safety of our communities.
In Ibusa, Illah, and Okpanam, for example, we have strengthened the capacity of local vigilante teams through logistics support and coordination. We also provided 30 additional security agents to help gather intelligence and maintain peace in rural areas. These collective efforts have significantly reduced crime rates, ensuring that farmers and traders can go about their daily activities without fear. On the economic side, improved security has enhanced local business confidence, helping to stabilize the economy and promote development. We are optimistic that insecurity will continue to decline as more proactive measures are implemented in partnership with relevant agencies and community leaders.
Sir, Communication between the people and their representatives is vital for development. How do you maintain effective contact with your constituents?
Communication has been a key part of our success. I maintain an open-door policy that allows people to reach me directly. If anyone calls or visits my constituency office, I make sure to respond personally or through my aides. My constituency office is always open to receive visitors and complaints. I also receive letters and petitions from constituents, which are promptly attended to.
Beyond that, I have WhatsApp groups and other communication channels with various community leaders and youth organizations. Through these platforms, I get firsthand information about their needs and concerns. I believe that accountability and accessibility are essential for effective representation, and I have made it a priority to remain connected with the people I serve.
Sir, You have always spoken about the need for more projects in your constituency. What areas still require attention?
There is still a lot to be done, particularly in the areas of road construction, education, and empowerment. The government has already made progress in providing roads, schools, and health centers, but more still needs to be done to meet the needs of our people. We have several ongoing requests before the State Government and the Federal Government. For instance, I have requested for the President’s Special Project (PSP) to include some road and bridge projects in our area.
In terms of education, we have requested for the renovation of schools and the construction of new classroom blocks. Although much has been done already, some of our schools still need attention.
On empowerment, we have trained and supported many people across the constituency with startup grants, materials, and vocational tools. But the demand remains high, especially among the youth and women. I have personally supported several young entrepreneurs with financial assistance, while also lobbying for more government intervention through constituency projects.
Empowerment is a continuous process. It helps reduce unemployment and poverty, while creating a sense of belonging for our people. We will continue to partner with the state and federal governments to attract more opportunities for our constituency.
Question: Let’s talk about you personally. What inspired you to go into politics and represent your people?
I have always had a passion for service. I see leadership as a platform to make positive impact. My journey into politics started in 1998, when I first became actively involved in community service. I was encouraged by my people, who believed that I could represent them effectively. Over the years, I have held various positions and gained experience in governance. I decided to join politics to make life better for my people and to help bridge the gap between government and the grassroots.
I believe leadership is about service, sacrifice, and compassion. You must see yourself as a servant of the people. Through politics, I have been able to touch lives and support development projects that uplift our communities.
My motivation comes from the desire to help people out of poverty, improve living conditions, and give everyone a fair chance to succeed. Politics, to me, is not just about holding office — it’s about solving real problems and putting smiles on the faces of ordinary people.
I can say, in all modesty, that we have done our best. I just decided to see how I could add value to society and ensure that we leave a good footprint — something that people can look back on and appreciate. When people commend your efforts, it encourages you to do even more. Lazy people who do nothing will always look down on those who are working hard. At my age, I still feel energetic and passionate about service. I always encourage young people to develop a spirit of self-reliance. It’s not good to depend entirely on others for a living. We must all do our part to help society move forward. Everyone should contribute in their own way — you do yours, and let others do theirs.
What message do you have for the good people of Oshimili North and Delta State as you continue your service in the House of Assembly?
I will plead with them to be patient and continue to pray for me. I can assure them that the state government is working hard and that we will keep moving forward by the grace of God. Things will continue to improve, and we can already see positive changes happening across Delta State. So, I urge our people to remain patient with the government and continue to support its programs. We are open to any ideas that will help us grow and develop as a people. My advice is simple: be patient, be prayerful, and remain peaceful.
