… begins rebuilding health centre, schools in Okuama
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Friday, assured the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of robust partnership in delivering sustainable mega projects that would enhance socio-economic lives of Deltans.
Governor Oborevwori gave the assurance when he received the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr Sam Ogbuku and his management team in Asaba.
The Governor, who frowned at the litany of abandoned NDDC projects in the state and the region, expressed the readiness of his administration to partner the interventionist agency to complete some of the projects and execute new ones.
While commending Ogbuku for his innovations geared at making the NDDC more transparent and accountable to the people of the region, he called for stakeholders’ engagements to align development plans.
He said: “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 are unable to complete.
“There are abandoned projects and I am happy that you mentioned it here. We have completed some of those projects. 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 C 2, 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. So you must make your place good for people to pass.
“The issue of partnership is very key. Not only to partner the multi-nationals but also is partnership with the state 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.
“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. Why am I 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”.
Governor Oborevwori also tasked the NDDC on effective monitoring of its projects to ensure that the people get value for their money, 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”.
Earlier, Dr. Ogbuku said he was in Delta to discuss issues of mutual benefits between NDDC and the Delta 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.
Dr. Ogbuku further said that the management was building a transformative and transparent NDDC that is accountable to the people of the Niger Delta and appealed to the Delta State Government for partnership with the Commission and Chevron for the construction of the Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos Road and bridges, adding that when completed, it will help improve the economy of Delta State.
Ogbuku also said the NDDC was compiling a data base of Niger Delta Youths to engage in their areas of passion and competence for growth opportunities, adding that KPMG has been commissioned to design a Corporate Governance Structure for the NDDC.
Meanwhile, Delta State government has commenced the process of rebuilding Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state destroyed after the unfortunate killing of 17 army officers and soldiers in the community.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori disclosed this when he played host to the leadership of Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers, led by its Chairman and Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM, Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, and the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, led by its President General, Chief Ese Gam, at Government House, Asaba, on Thursday.
Oborevwori expressed appreciation to the Urhobo traditional rulers for visiting and donating food and relief materials to Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Okuama community.
He said the state government had awarded contracts for the construction of a health centre and six classroom blocks for primary and secondary schools in Okuama community, adding that the IDPs would soon return to their ancestral community.
“I am happy to receive Your Royal Majesties and the leadership of UPU this afternoon. I am happy in the sense that you all stood by me and supported me to be Governor and I thank God today that your son is the Governor of Delta State”.
Earlier, Sideso, who was represented by the Vice Chairman of the Council and Ovie of Arhavwarien Kingdom, HRM Solomon Okukeren III, said they visited to appreciate and intimate the governor on certain issues affecting the Urhobo nation and Delta State in general.
The Urhobo monarchs, while appreciating Oborevwori for the work he had accomplished thus far as governor of Delta State in the last one year, commended him for the resolution of the age-long crisis between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities as well as the Okuama and Okoloba crisis.
