Izeze To Delta Engineers: Stay Trained, Stay Relevant, Deliver Lasting Roads
By PAULINA NZERUBE
COMRADE Reuben Izeze, Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), has sharpened the focus of the ministry toward sustained capacity building, declaring continuous retraining as the backbone of infrastructure excellence in the 2026 project cycle. Speaking during a high-level interactive session with the ministry’s Zonal and Superintendent Engineers in Asaba on Tuesday, Izeze framed the rapidly evolving engineering landscape as one that no longer accommodates static skillsets, warning that emerging technologies and modern highway demands have permanently redefined infrastructure delivery benchmarks.
The commissioner emphasised that training is no longer a peripheral professional option but a compulsory productivity variable, linking workforce competence to measurable outcomes such as road durability, safety, climate-adaptive construction, and long-term cost efficiency. Drawing attention to the governor’s MORE Agenda, he stated that human capital investment must match physical infrastructure spending if the state intends to deliver roads that survive both heavy traffic and environmental stress. According to him, up-to-date training exposes engineers to innovations such as smart drainage planning, asphalt modification technologies, materials optimisation, and urban road harmonisation strategies that reduce failure risks and post-construction maintenance costs.
Izeze also introduced a quality-assurance directive that prioritises physical, on-site inspections over sole reliance on GPS or remote data interpretation, insisting that real-time field evaluation remains irreplaceable for verifying terrain conditions, material suitability, hydrological vulnerabilities, and compliance with engineering specifications. He directed engineers to maintain strict fidelity to project designs and specifications, and accelerate timelines on ongoing road projects, particularly as 2026 approaches a politically sensitive election year, a period he noted will test not only project completion rates but also public confidence in the state’s infrastructure commitments.
Reinforcing a people-centred leadership tone, Izeze assured engineers that excellence will be rewarded with visibility and institutional backing, adding that improved welfare and working conditions are essential to driving motivation and field performance. “If you are excellent at what you do and remain on top of your game, I know how best to showcase and support my people,” he said, signalling a governance approach that blends performance incentives with professional accountability.
The session drew attendance from the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Engr. Mrs Juliet Aboloje, technical aide Engr. Ejovi Adasen, highways director Engr. Solomon Aghagba, urban roads director Engr. Victor Oputa, and other senior officials, underscoring the administration’s renewed alignment toward technical professionalism and infrastructure sustainability.
