DELTA State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have agreed on the need for robust partnership in delivering sustainable mega projects that would enhance the socio-economic lives of Deltans and indeed, the South-South region.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori expressed the readiness of the state government to work with the NDDC on Friday, August 9, when he received the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Sam Ogbuku, and his management team at Government House, Asaba.
The governor, who lamented the alarming number of abandoned NDDC projects in the state and the region, expressed his administration’s readiness to partner the interventionist agency to complete some of the projects and even execute new ones.
While commending Ogbuku for his innovations aimed at making NDDC more transparent and accountable to the people of the region, the governor called for stakeholders engagements to align development plans, noting: “I know you are competent and I know what you are doing, but I want to say something, because I am a realist.
“When I came in, there were some projects the NDDC was doing that they were unable to complete. There are abandoned projects and I am happy that you mentioned it here. We have completed some of those projects.
“And even when you are talking about the Sector C2, which is from Ughelli to Asaba, it’s a federal road, but we are doing it. The DSC and Effurun roundabouts are all federal roads, but we are doing them.
“We engaged Julius Berger for those projects because we are the ones using the roads even though they are federal roads; other people that are coming are just visitors.
“The issue of partnership is very key. Not only to partner with the multi-nationals, but also partnership with the state is very good. When the NDDC is on the same page with the governors of the Niger Delta, we will be able to plan and see what you people want to do, so that when we are doing our budgets, we will know what to budget for. Not that we budget for something and the NDDC will also budget for the same thing; it becomes a problem.”
Oborevwori added: “There was one incident that happened. A road that was given to a contractor, we intervened in the project, but we were shocked that that same road, they went and put the signpost of NDDC on it in December.
“They removed the signpost of Delta State and put their own and took pictures. My Chief Press Secretary had to issue a press statement. I am saying this so that a job that you have awarded and the person abandoned it and we decided to intervene, the person shouldn’t come to you to collect money for job that the state did.
“If we partner, there is no way they can go and collect the money. I will also let you know that any of these projects that we are going to intervene, we will write to you people, so that no contractor will collect money for job not done.
“I am also aware that the Ugono road, about two kilometres, that job was awarded and they only came and tried to do the drains and they pulled out. That job has been completed by us and many other roads.
“It is also your fault to award contracts that you will not be able to finance. Sometimes, these contractors are not paid, so they are frustrated and have no choice but to pull out.
“Now that we are discussing, it will help us partner well. The NDDC is an interventionist agency and has to assist the people in this region. This is about the oldest interventionist agency in the whole of this country.
“We have the highest stake because the oil will produce is what the nation feeds on today. But where is our benefits? Look at the East-West road, we are having challenges there. There is nothing wrong if you can provide palliatives on the road. You have the capacity to intervene. I was told that it is under the Federal Ministry of Works, but it is in this region.
“Anything you do in this region, those are the things that you will be remembered for. The way you are talking about partnership is the way to go, because we want the region to succeed.
“So, we will continue to partner to move our region forward. We must do something that we should be remembered for. This will be service to both our people and the nation.”
Oborevwori also tasked the NDDC on effective monitoring of its projects, saying: “Monitoring is one important thing that you people need to do. Please, ensure you monitor your projects. Don’t just leave them in the hands of the people in the state, because at the end of the day, it is the managing director and his team they will call.
“As the highest oil producing state in the region, we need these projects. Be rest assured that Delta State is ready to partner NDDC. Write to us when you have important projects that you can’t handle, we can take it over or do a joint venture to execute the project. We are ready, because any project in the state, it is our people that will benefit the most.
“It was last week I took a decision to take over the Ohoror-Bomadi road, because without that road, you cannot even have access to the Akugbene road that you want to do.”
Ogbuku had earlier explained that he and his team were in Delta to discuss issues of mutual benefits between NDDC and the state government, adding that as the largest oil producing state in the country, Delta would have a large portion of the recently passed NDDC budget.
He stated that the management was building a transformative and transparent NDDC that is accountable to the people of the Niger Delta and appealled to the state government for partnership with the Commission and oil giant, Chevron, for the construction of the Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos road and bridges, adding that when completed, it would help improve the state’s economy.
Ogbuku also said the NDDC was compiling a database of Niger Delta youths to engage in their areas of passion and competence for growth opportunities, adding that audit and accounting firm, KPMG, has been commissioned to design a Corporate Governance Structure for the Commission.
