The Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, says it has taken particular note of the proactive and dogged way and manner the Director General of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA), Hon. Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, has pursued the cleanliness of Asaba.
The newly elected state executive of the union led by the chairman, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu during a courtesy to her agency’s office Asaba acknowledged her sterling leadership qualities that are worthy of emulation.
Ikeogwu noted the enormous work the Agency had done under the able leadership of Mrakpor, insisting that some persons in government might need to come for tutelage with the DG on how to handle public leadership.
The Chairman said his mission in his second term in office, is mainly to help honest and hard-working stakeholders actualize their purpose in office through publicity and commendation in order to motivate them to do more.
Ikeogwu said he is amazed at the strength, energy and will power with which Mrakpor works most times to deliver the mandate and vision of the Okowa led administration.
He charged the DG to keep speaking for the society as a vocal leader, assuring her of greater responsibility where she would sure make greater impact in changing the narrative of our society.
The chairman also hinted the DG of the Council’s determination to weed the Union of quacks and unethical conducts, thereby revealing the setting up of Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to deal with unprofessional conducts of members.
Responding, Hon. Mrakpor affirmed her joy for the NUJ’s endorsement of what she is doing in Asaba.
She said she got similar commendation from Medical Doctors and she was surprised when they said, if not that she cleaned Asaba as she did, managing Covid-19 pandemic would have been more devastating.
According to her, “I have the courage to do what I am doing because I have the backing and authority of my father and Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. He appointed me and asked me to clean up Asaba, and that is what I am doing.
“Again, I have God leading me. God said to Joshua, be courageous and fear not. He also said, I will go ahead of you to make every crooked way straight. So I have nothing to fear other than to do the work I had been assigned to do”, Mrakpor noted.
She equally expressed disappointment at the rate culture and values are drifting, especially on the side of the youths. She stressed that in the past, the youths were involved in communal activities like sanitation, but not anymore.
She said she does not know where the society had gotten it wrong, insisting that things were no longer the way they used to be.
The DG affirmed that the monthly environmental sanitation and Thursday market clean ups were no longer effective, maintaining that if these modes of clean ups no longer work, they should then be abolished to create better ways of doing sanitations.
Her words, “I don’t see any reason why a landlord or tenant should wait to be challenged first before cleaning his or her environment. Why should people want Government to do everything for them? While we acknowledge that Government must play its part, the people must also complement the efforts of government in helping the society to grow and develop.
While acknowledging that Delta journalists had been helpful in her mission project, the DG appealed that the NUJ should assist in mindset reorientation of the youths.
She said that the youths are buying into the lies of our people in diaspora who usually come up with fake stories about our state and nation, even when where they reside oversea are not as good as they paint them.
However, as part of NUJ/Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency’s new working relationship, Mrakpor unconditionally pledged a space in Asaba for the take off of NUJ Transport Scheme. The Scheme will be launched in 2021 which she had promised to play active role to ensure its actualization.
