By Kenneth Orusi, Managing Editor
The Delta State Government has confirmed a rise in drug abuse across the state, announcing a raft of interventions aimed at tackling the growing menace, including the approval for the establishment and equipping of neuropsychiatric units in hospitals across the state.
The disclosure was made on Friday June 3, 2026, by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, while briefing journalists shortly after the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting presided over by Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in Asaba.
According to the commissioner, the decision followed concerns over the increasing rate of substance abuse in both the country and Delta State, which has heightened the need for improved mental health services.
“You know because of the increased drug abuse rate in the country and in Delta State, we needed a neuropsychiatric department. That unit also got approval for equipping in various hospitals in the state,” Onojaeme said.
He explained that the approval forms part of broader efforts by the Oborevwori administration to strengthen the state’s healthcare system by expanding access to specialised medical services that were previously unavailable or inadequate.
The commissioner also announced that EXCO approved the establishment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy services in Delta State, a development expected to significantly ease the burden on cancer patients.
According to him, many residents currently travel to Lagos and other parts of the country, sometimes staying away from home for weeks, to receive cancer treatment.
“A lot of our patients that have cancer have to go as far as Lagos. Some will even lodge there for more than one month just to get care, just to get radiotherapy treatment. But in EXCO today, we also got that approval,” he stated.
He added: “So in the nearest time, a lot of our patients will not need to go out of the state to get radiotherapy and chemotherapy services because that can now be done in Delta State.”
Onojaeme further disclosed that EXCO approved the equipping of the General Hospital, Ekpan, which was awarded in 2011 and has now been completed.
“I want to bring to the attention of the press that the General Hospital, Ekpan, which was awarded in 2011, has been completed. In EXCO today, there was approval to equip the hospital and I know in no distant time that hospital will be open for use by Deltans,” he said.
The commissioner also revealed that EXCO approved the ceding of Central Hospital, Kwale, as the take-off point for the proposed teaching hospital of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Kwale.
He said the development would create employment opportunities for residents while positioning Delta as a major destination for specialised healthcare.
“That will be our first federal university teaching hospital in the state. It is a major development for Delta because it will open up the facility and create employment opportunities for our people,” he noted.
Onojaeme also disclosed that the state received approval to equip its Public Health Laboratory to improve disease surveillance and emergency response.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic, he said Delta previously depended on laboratories outside the state for critical diagnostic investigations.
“In 2020, during COVID-19, many of our samples were taken to Irua and Abuja. With the approval to equip the Public Health Laboratory, we will now be able to carry out major public health investigations, including those relating to Ebola virus outbreaks, without leaving the state,” he said.
The commissioner added that the approvals complement other health sector investments by the state government aimed at improving access to quality healthcare and reducing the need for residents to seek specialised treatment outside Delta State.
Also briefing journalists after the EXCO meeting, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, announced that the council approved the commencement of the legislative process to institutionalise the payment of the 13th-month salary for Delta State civil servants.
According to him, the proposed legislation is intended to ensure that the annual bonus becomes a statutory entitlement that will endure beyond the life of the present administration.
Aniagwu further disclosed that EXCO approved the recruitment of additional secondary school teachers, particularly in science subjects, to address the shortage of manpower affecting the quality of education in public schools.
He said the council directed the Ministry of Secondary Education to submit a memo indicating the number of teachers required for immediate employment.
The council also approved the equipping of technical colleges in Oghareki, Ethiope West Local Government Area, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen technical and vocational education in the state.
