Group laments abandoned NDDC projects in Ondo

…Gives mobilised contractors a month to return to the site or be exposed

Dayo Johnson Akure

A group, Great Patriot For Better initiative (GPBI) has lamented the high level of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) abandoned projects in Ondo State and other Niger Delta states in the country.

It has therefore given all the contractors awarded projects and mobilised in the last ten years to return to the site and complete the projects.

The Executive Director of the group Biyi Poroye at a media briefing in Akure threatened that the contractors in Ondo state would be exposed if they failed to return to the site within the next month.

Poroye said that the mandate of NDDC was to offer a lasting solution to the social-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta region and to facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.

He, however, regretted that the abandonment of projects by contractors was not making the mandate realisable.

According to him ” it is therefore outrageous an alarming that Ondo State as the 5th position among the nine Niger Delta State has no major or capital projects such as dualized road, standard health institutions, schools that have been done by the NDDC since inception, unlike the other Niger Delta States.

” lt is so sardonic that we are living on the water, with no access to a good road or portable water to drink, there’s no electricity our people have been in blackout for over a decade, our people are suffering, they are dying on daily basis as a result of lack of good water and good health facilities. It is a terrible situation.

“As an advocacy group and a responsible citizen of the Niger Delta Area, we are coming out to raise the consciousness of our people, government and the Niger Delta stakeholders that;

“We are not pleased with the high level of abandoned projects in Ondo State and the other Niger Delta States. Our people are suffering and efforts of the Federal Government to bring laughers to the people are being defeated continuously.

“Across the Niger Delta Region and especially in Ondo State, there are splits of abandoned projects, Contractors refusal to mobilise to the site after they had collected mobilisation, ghost projects yet paid, substandard projects.

“On this note, we are formally notifying and appealing to Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ọjọ (BTO), The Chairman, House Committee on NDDC with his colleagues both at the Senate and House of Representatives to please use their good offices to invite all the absconded contractors who had been mobilized especially in Ondo State to relocate to the projects site within one-month ultimatum in their own interest.

Hon. Bunmi Tunji – Ojo, we believe in your leadership as a dynamic, trustworthy, progressive and energetic political leader in our dear State and beyond.

“Your action to have taken it as a priority to fight for the interest of your people and the masses. We hereby plead with you sir to take action by investigating this matter and encourage the Contractors to move to the projects site.

” lf this can be achieved, it will complement the laudable projects of our Governors especially our performing Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu led administration ably coordinated by the office of his energetic and idealistic Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aminu Raimi.

Poroye said ” We shall be presenting our yearnings to the Honourable Chairman, House Committee on NDDC and other Opinion Leaders in the Niger Delta Region as a group any moment from now with the aim of persuading affected Contractors to go back to projects site.