The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Dennis Guwor, has identified the people, peace and unity as the greatest strengths defining Delta as the state marks its 35th anniversary.
Guwor stated this on Thursday in Asaba while reflecting on Delta’s development since its creation on Aug. 27, 1991.
He said the state’s achievements went beyond roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure, stressing that human capital development, peaceful coexistence and unity remained essential to sustaining progress.
“When Delta was created, Asaba was not the metropolitan capital that we know today. Over the years, it has expanded tremendously and developed into a major urban center,” he said.
Guwor, who also chairs the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria, listed the transformation of Asaba and the construction of major infrastructure as some of the state’s key milestones.
He cited the Bomadi Bridge, airport, major flyovers, expanded road networks, four universities and a modern secretariat among projects that had contributed to Delta’s development.
“The Bomadi Bridge represented inclusion. When you connect a community by road, you are connecting that community to economic opportunities, healthcare, education and government services,” he said.
The speaker described education as another major driver of development, citing the establishment of state-owned universities and other higher institutions across Delta.
“When you establish a university, you are developing human beings who will drive development for decades,” Guwor said, emphasizing the need to prioritize investment in people.
He also credited Delta’s political tradition of rotating leadership among the three senatorial districts with promoting stability and peaceful transitions.
“There is an understanding that every senatorial district will have its opportunity to provide leadership. It is more of a political understanding, a gentleman’s arrangement,” he said.
According to him, the arrangement has helped successive administrations transition smoothly and strengthened political stability across the state.
Assessing Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, Guwor said the MORE Agenda had accelerated development across the state, with more than 500 road, bridge and flyover projects.
If you travel around Delta today, you will see projects spread across the three senatorial districts.
“The intention is to ensure development is not concentrated in one particular area,” he said.
On the legislature, Guwor described the Eighth Assembly as stable and productive, citing the passage of the Electricity Power Sector Law and disability rights legislation among its achievements.
Looking ahead, he urged Delta to prepare for a post-oil economy by investing heavily in education, healthcare, agriculture, technology, manufacturing, tourism and the creative industry.
He also identified the state’s gas resources as a major economic opportunity, calling for strategies to convert them into sustainable wealth.
“Our gas resources also provide an enormous opportunity. If we have such significant gas reserves, we must find ways of converting that resource into sustainable economic value,” Guwor said.
The speaker also celebrated Deltans who have distinguished themselves nationally and globally in sports, banking, media, politics, governance and education.
He urged residents to see their diversity as an advantage and sustain the spirit of unity across ethnic and senatorial lines.
“We may come from different ethnic groups and senatorial districts, but we are all people of Delta. Our diversity should be our strength,” Guwor said.
He said the Delta of the future must become more prosperous, inclusive, peaceful and developed, stressing that the state’s greatest asset remained its people and their shared commitment to its progress.
