The Delta Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Mr Reuben Izeze, on Tuesday appeared before the House of Assembly Committee on Works and Special Projects with a comprehensive “performance audit,” as he defended the ministry’s proposed 2026 budget.
Izeze characterised the annual defence as an accountability platform through which the ministry reports on its stewardship, justifies past allocations, and outlines the direction for the coming year.
“Though officially called a budget defence, what we present here is essentially our scorecard,” he told the lawmakers.
The commissioner noted that the session allowed the ministry to show how far it had progressed on state infrastructure targets using funds already released.
Izeze commended the committee led led by Mr Oboro Preyor, for its constructive oversight and continued support.
He stressed that the ministry has remained deliberate about transparency, especially in managing the state’s expanding infrastructure portfolio.
Giving a breakdown of the Ministry’s activities, Izeze revealed that between May 29, 2023, and October 30, 2025, the Ministry supervised 351 projects cutting across all 25 local government areas.
He said out of the number, 262 were inherited from previous administrations, while 89 projects were initiated by the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori-led government.
According to him, the projects span 1,143.3 kilometres of road construction and rehabilitation, alongside 639.02 square kilometres of drainage channels.
The Commissioner described the roads projects as central to the state government’s infrastructure expansion and urban renewal agenda.
”Out of the 351 projects, 199—valued at N226.629 billion have been completed.
”The remaining 152 projects, estimated at N873.2 billion, are currently ongoing,” he said.
According to Izeze, the ministry’s interventions have eased congestion in major cities, improved overall mobility, and addressed recurrent flooding in vulnerable communities.
He disclosed that between January and November 2025 alone, the ministry paid contractors a total of N156.76 billion, including payments tied to ISPOs for both completed and ongoing projects.
Presenting the 2026 budget proposal, Izeze announced a total allocation of N690.2 billion, marginally higher than the previous year.
He attributed the increase to wage adjustments driven by the recently approved minimum wage.
Izeze however, drew the committee’s attention to financial pressures on the ministry’s books.
”Unpaid certificates for ongoing and uncompleted projects currently stand at N2.317 billion.
He added that some project votes were already “grossly overspent,” prompting his recommendation that outstanding liabilities be settled before the end of the year to prevent avoidable strain on the 2026 budget.
The Commissioner assured lawmakers that the new budget aligned with the state’s Medium-Term Development Plan (2024–2027).
He added the budget also reflected global construction industry challenges such as inflationary pressure on materials and unpredictable weather patterns that often slow project timelines.
“In keeping with His Excellency’s vision for a modern, well-connected Delta State, we remain fully committed to delivering critical infrastructure that supports economic growth and enhances the daily lives of our citizens,” Izeze said.
In his remarks, the Committee Chairman, Mr Oboro Preyor praised the ministry’s output, describing its performance as a major factor in the administration’s growing public approval.
He urged Izeze to maintain the momentum and continue upholding diligence in project execution.
He also directed the Ministry to submit a detailed inventory of all ongoing projects.
The list, he said, would guide the Committee’s planned first-quarter oversight visits in 2026.
The Committee thereafter formally received the Ministry’s 2026 budget proposal for further legislative scrutiny, marking the end of the session.
