Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has expressed concern over the abandonment of multiple projects belonging to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the state and South-South region.
Oborevwori made the complaint on Friday, when the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Sam Ogbuku, and his management team visited him at the Government House, Asaba.
He, however, pledged his administration’s commitment to partner the commission on infrastructure and socio-economic development of the state.
He lauded Ogbuku for his innovations geared toward making the commission more transparent and accountable to the people of the region.
The governor called for stakeholders’ engagements to enable the commission to align its development plans with the needs of the people.
“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 that the NDDC was doing that they were unable to complete.
“There are abandoned projects and I am happy that you mentioned them here.
“We have completed some of those projects and also the Bomadi Road, there is one of the bridges there, we went and did it; that was last year.
“And even when you are talking about the Sector C2, which is from Ughelli to Asaba, it is 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,” he said.
The governor further said: “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 NDDC is on the same page with the governors of the Niger Delta, we will be able to plan and see what you want to do.
“So, 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.”
The governor recalled incidents where the state had to intervene on roads already awarded to a contractor by the NDDC.
“They removed the signpost of Delta State and put their own and took pictures.
“If we partner, there is no way they can go and collect the money
“So, I will also let you know that any of these projects that we are going to intervene, we will write to you and no contractor will collect money for job not done,” Oborevwori said.
He charged the commission to engage in effective monitoring of its projects to ensure that the people got value for their money.
Earlier, Ogbuku said he was in the state to discuss issues of mutual benefits to NDDC and the Delta Government.
He said that Delta, being the largest oil-producing state in the country, should have a large chunk of the recently passed NDDC budget.
According to him, the commission’s management is building a transformative and transparent organisation that would be accountable to the people of the region.
He called for partnership among the State Government, Commission and Chevron for the construction of the Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos Road and bridges.
He said that when the roads and bridges would be completed, they would help improve the economy of Delta State.