The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Wednesday announced that its 6.87- kilometre road and bridge project in Akwa Ibom would soon be inaugurated.
The cost of the project is about N10.04 billion.
The Managing Director of NDDC, Mr Dan Abia, disclosed this during inspection tour of some roads and a shoreline protection project in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.
Abia said that the project was part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive on the completion of ongoing projects in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the 6.87 kilometre Iko-Atabrikang, Akata-Opolom and Okoroutip-Iwuchang phase-one road with a 600 meter bridge was awarded in 2003 to connect the East-West road.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the President, had during the inauguration of NDDC board, charged the NDDC to complete ongoing projects before embarking on new projects.
Jonathan had said that there were too many ongoing projects across the region which needed urgent attention to justify the reason for the existence of the commission.
Abia said that the road would relieve the sufferings of motorists and boost economic activities in the surrounding communities.
“The NDDC board will work audaciously to fast track completion of projects that had been awarded by the previous boards to meet President Jonathan’s transformation agenda.
“The road and bridge will be better utilised when NDDC completes the second phase of the road project which will serve as an alternative that will further connect the Niger Delta to other regions.
“NDDC, as an interventionist agency, is sensitive and committed towards providing critical infrastructures that will improve the living standard of the people.
“The board with the support of stakeholders will do everything within its mandate to reduce infrastructure deficit in the region, and as such, lessen difficulties faced by the people”, he said.
Abia, however, said that the NDDC could not achieve its mandate of fast tracking sustainable development in the Niger Delta without the expertise and commitment of contractors.
He called on the people to support the new board and management towards achieving its mandate of actualising the Niger Delta master plan. (NAN)
Attention: Chief. Bassey Dan-Abia, Mrs. Christy Atako and NDDC
It is not with great pleasure that I write this but my must thoughts must be heard hence I am doing this. The Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established as an interventionist parastatal for the people of the oil rich Delta region of Nigeria and for so long it has failed to carry-out this mandate; with the new Officers in the helms of affairs one is optimistic that things will change for the better starting with recently concluded 2014 NDDC Foreign Postgraduate Scholarship test. As a Niger-Deltan and a concerned one, I am expecting that the Board will publish in National dailies the shortlisted candidates, the result of the test and the medium for final selection. I am sure the enlightened people of the region would want to know how things are run with its resources and as such I am calling on the MD of the Commission, Chief. Bassey Dan-Abia and the Director of Education, Health and Social Service (including Scholarships), Mrs. Christy Atako, to be cautious of their activities especially as regards the 2014 Foreign Postgraduate Test as Niger-deltans are carefully watching you. I want to believe that every Oil Producing LGA in the region is allocated slots according to their contribution to the “National Cake” and then the best applicants from such LGAs are selected.
Furthermore, the principal officers of the Board especially Mr. Tuoyo Omatsuli, the Director of Projects should also note that gone are the days where a 200 meter concrete road or 50 street lights would be constructed in one interior village and that is all for the fiscal year. Be aware that Niger-deltans know the budget of the Commission (N315.8bn) and will ensure that it is utilized judiciously and to the benefit of the people of the region. Failure of the Commission to do this would necessarily result in the dance of the masquerade.
Ms. Elizabeth Ejiro Alfred-King,
Concerned Deltan & Member Niger-delta Integrity Group,
Warri.