NDDC ABANDONED PROJECTS IN ONDO: POROYE ADVISES ABSCONDED CONTRACTORS TO COMMENCE EXECUTION OF PROJECTS OR FACE THE WRATH OF LAW, SEEKS THE FULL INTERVENTION OF HON. BUNMI TUNJI-OJO

NDDC ABANDONED PROJECTS IN ONDO: POROYE ADVISES ABSCONDED CONTRACTORS TO COMMENCE EXECUTION OF PROJECTS OR FACE THE WRATH OF LAW, SEEKS THE FULL INTERVENTION OF HON. BUNMI TUNJI-OJO

The Executive Director of the Great Patriots for Better Initiative, Prince Poroye Biyi Bill, has called on the contractors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who had been awarded contracts and subsequently mobilised for same, to relocate to the project sites or face the wrath of law.

Great Patriots for Better Initiative is a non-partisan advocacy group formed to champion the fight for the betterment of the people and also fight against corruption, marginalisation and injustice.

In a press briefing held today, Thursday 11th February, 2021 in Akure, Ondo State capital, Poroye appealed to the Chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, to urge all the contractors who had awarded contracts and got mobilised by the NDDC, to relocate to sites and commence execution of the projects.

In his statement, Prince Poroye briefly ran through the mandate of the NDDC as a commission.
“Let me start by giving a brief history of the NDDC right from the time of Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), which was established by decree No.23 of July, 1992 and later metamorphosed to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in June 5, 2000 by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The mandate of the NDDC is to offer a lasting solution to the social economic difficulties of the Niger Delta region and to facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful”.

“Having looked at the brief history of the NDDC, the transformations, and the goodwill of the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration has voted billions of naira into the NDDC, it is therefore outrageous and alarming that Ondo State as the 5th position among the nine Niger Delta States, has no major or capital projects such as dualized roads, standard health centres, modern school buildings and so on, that has been done by the NDDC since inception unlike other Niger Delta States”.

“It is so sardonic that we are living on water, with no access to good road or portable water to drink, there is no electricity, our people have been in black out for over a decade, our people are suffering seriously, they are dying on daily basis as a result of lack of good water and good health facilities. It is a terrible situation”. Poroye opined.

“As an advocacy group and a responsible citizen of the Niger Delta Area, we are coming out to raise the consciousness of our people, government and the Niger Delta stakeholders that; we are not pleased with the high level of abandoned projects in Ondo State and other Niger Delta States. No doubt, the frantic efforts of the Federal Government to meet the needs of the people and ameliorate their problems are being defeated continuously by these dubious and self-centered contractors”.

“Across the Niger Delta Region and especially in Ondo State, there are splits of abandoned projects, Contractors refusal to mobilise to the site after they had collected mobilisation, has been so rampant in our land. On this note, we are formally notifying and appealing to Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ọjọ (BTO), The Chairman, House Committee on NDDC with his colleagues both at the Senate and House of Representatives to please use their good offices to invite all the contractors who had been mobilized by the NDDC especially, in Ondo State to relocate to the projects site within one month ultimatum in their own interest”. Poroye appealed.

“Hon. Bunmi Tunji- Ojo, we believe in your leadership as a dynamic, trustworthy, progressive and energetic political leader in our dear sunshine State and beyond. Your action to have taken it as a priority to fight for the interest of your people and the masses, is admirable and applaudable. We hereby plead with you sir, to take action by investigating this matter and encourage the Contractors to move to the projects site. If this can be achieved, it will complement the laudable projects of our performing Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu ably coordinated by the office of his energetic and idealistic Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aminu Raimi”. Poroye averted.

Poroye finally promised to present the yarnings of the group to the Honourable Chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo and others stakeholders of the Niger Delta region in no distant time and subsequently make the contractors to face the wrath of law if they fail the group’s one month ultimatum.