By Godwin Anene
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it will only pay contractors who have completed projects after such projects had been evaluated and of which the standard meet the commission’s specification.
It stated that the commission would not compromised standard in contracts awarded to indigenous contractors especially those who are natives of the Niger Delta region.
The commission stated this through the Acting Executive Director, Projects (EDP) (NDDC), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh at the end of a three-day tour of completed emergency NDDC’s projects in Imo and Akwa Ibom states.
Ojougboh, according to a statement issued by the commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, stressed the need to enhance the capacities of indigenous contractors to ensure that quality and standards were not compromised in the execution of projects.
He decried defects in some of the projects inspected, and hinted that NDDC’s technical team would return to properly evaluate to enable contractors finish their job to specification.
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He, however, approved the asphalt overlay done in Akwa Ibom projects, unlike others.
Ojougboh noted that if NDDC would continue to use indigenous contractors, it must encourage and empower them to improve for better performance.
“This is the point that NDDC must be refocused and placed on the proper footing; so that Niger Deltans will benefit from the commission.
“That is why President Muhammadu Buhari brought us here (NDDC) to look holistically at what went wrong. You can see what we are doing, that we have been able to point it out and place the commission properly”, Ojuogboh stated.
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Some of the completed emergency projects inspected in Imo state included repair of failed sections of Umudee internal road; Umukehi Uratta, repairs and sections of Ezumoha internal roads, Eziama Osuama internal roads, Ope Okigwe internal road and Umuezuo-Umuezegwu road, Ahiaza Mbaise, among others.
In Akwa Ibom state, the projects inspected included the emergency repairs of the failed sections of secretariat road in Upenekang Ibeno, Odorokuku road and Grammar School close, Upenekang village and Esenem street and Lutheran road environs.
