Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta says the state government has commenced the rebuilding of the damaged health centre and schools at Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government.

Okuama had been in the news over the unfortunate killing of 17 army officers and soldiers in the community.

The governor disclosed this when the leadership of Urhobo council of traditional rulers visited him at the Government House in Asaba on Thursday.

He thanked them for the visit and for donating food and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Okuama.

He said the state government had awarded contracts for the construction of a health centre and six classroom blocks for primary and secondary schools in Okuama community.

The governor added that the IDPs would soon return to their ancestral community.

“I am happy to receive Your Royal Majesties and the leadership of UPU.

“I am happy in the sense that you all stood by me and supported me to be governor and I thank God today that your son is the governor of Delta state.

“I want to appreciate the role that you people played and all other things you people have been doing.

“The last local government election was very peaceful. This is because of the fatherly role you played and the support you have been giving to this administration.

“I want to also thank you for your visit to the Okuama IDPs camp and also the visit to Okuama village. It is not a place to go by car; you went in a boat and also gave them relief materials.

“We are doing our best to make sure that peace returns to that place,” he said.

He tasked the traditional rulers on need to curb the pockets of insecurity in the area.

“We are doing our best; I want to assure the people of  Delta that we are working hand-in-hand with security agencies to ensure that the state is peaceful,” the governor said.

Earlier, the delegation led its chairman and Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, and the president-general, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) worldwide, Ese Gam, thanked the governor for receiving them.

Mr Sideso said the visit was to appreciate and intimate the governor on issues affecting the Urhobo people and Delta in general.

Mr Sideso, represented by the vice chairman of the council and Ovie of Arhavwarien Kingdom, HRM Solomon Okukeren III, lauded the governor for his infrastructural projects.

Mr Sideso thanked him for the resolution of the age-long crisis between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities as well as the Okuama and Okoloba crisis.

(NAN)