Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has delivered a stern message to members of the Delta State Executive Council, declaring that performance—not rumors or “tale-bearing”—will determine their continuation in office.
The pronouncement came as the governor presided over the commissioning of eight newly constructed four-bedroom duplexes, each with two boys’ quarters attached, at the Commissioners’ Quarters in Asaba.
During the ceremony, Governor Oborevwori commended the majority of his commissioners for their loyalty, dedication, and hard work, even as he made clear that underperformance would no longer be tolerated.
“I want to, once again, commend our commissioners for being loyal, dedicated, and hardworking,” he said. “You know there are a lot of rumors saying the Governor wants to dissolve the Exco. These people haven’t even heard from me; this just shows that people like to talk too much.”
Stressing that no blanket dissolution of the Executive Council was planned, the governor warned individual commissioners who fail to deliver on their mandates that they would be “shown the door.”
“If you are not performing, we will drop you, and that will not affect other people,” he declared. “If you are performing, you will stay. Like now, two or three people are not performing. I told one of them today at the chapel, ‘You are not doing well.’”
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Governor Oborevwori insisted that commissioners must adopt a more proactive and visible approach to their duties.
“As a commissioner, we don’t see you. You talk, carry your memo, and look for the Governor, because the Governor will not come looking for you. There are others who are seeking me out; you have to bring energy and initiative into your ministry,” he admonished.
Reinforcing his administration’s focus on accountability, the governor emphasized that the success or failure of any ministry would rest squarely on the shoulders of its commissioner. “If there is a problem in any ministry, hold the commissioner responsible. Any ministry that is doing very well shows that the commissioner is doing very well.”
In the same address, the governor outlined his administration’s ambitious project-commissioning schedule for 2025, hinting that multiple ceremonies would be consolidated into single locations for greater efficiency.
“We have a lot of projects to commission. I don’t think we will stop before the end of this year. We may not be able to commission all of them, but I believe we will do our best. We want to emulate Mr. President in what he did on Saturday during the commissioning. They articulated all the projects and decided to stay in one particular location to commission them.”
He announced that the next group-commissioning event would take place in Warri, where several key projects would be unveiled simultaneously. “That is exactly what we will do in Warri on Wednesday.
“Since we have several projects to commission; we will articulate them, put them together, and stay in one place to cut the tape and commission all of them.”
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Governor Oborevwori explained that the construction of the eight duplexes at the Commissioners’ Quarters was necessitated by an insufficiency of existing accommodations.
“When we came in, we discovered that there were only 22 buildings here at the Commissioners’ Quarters, and the number of commissioners is more than 22. So there was no way we could accommodate all of them, which led us to this decision. This is a demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of top government functionaries.”
Chief Fidelis Tilije, the Dean of Commissioners and Commissioner for Finance, expressed gratitude on behalf of his colleagues. He thanked Governor Oborevwori for approving the project and appealed for the renovation of the existing 22 quarters to ensure all commissioners have adequate housing. “We appreciate Governor Oborevwori’s foresight in addressing our accommodation needs, and we kindly request that the old quarters be refurbished to meet acceptable standards,” he urged.
Hon. Godknows Angele, the Commissioner for Housing, offered a technical overview of the project. He explained that each duplex comprises four bedrooms, an attached lounge, and two detached boys’ quarters, designed to provide modern living conveniences for commissioners and their families.
Angele commended the governor for his unwavering support, noting that construction proceeded smoothly due to prompt funding and administrative backing from the State Executive Council.
Concluding his remarks, Governor Oborevwori reiterated that his administration would maintain a “no-nonsense” stance toward public service delivery.
“Our focus is on results. We have set performance benchmarks for each ministry, and we expect commissioners to meet—or exceed—those targets. Any commissioner who fails to deliver will be replaced, regardless of personal relationships or political connections,” he stated.