Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on Tuesday in Yenagoa warned
the Niger Delta Development Commission against being used as platform for
servicing political interest.
According to him, the commission should be used to serve the interest of
the Niger Delta people, while available resources should be channeled on
projects that could affect the development and prosperity of the region.
Dickson tabled the demand during a courtesy call on him by the Acting
Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and leaders of the Ijaw
Youth Council (IYC).
He also suggested that the NDDC should collaborate with state governments
in the region to execute priority projects that would serve as a catalyst
for the socio-economic development.
The Governor, who identified the three senatorial road projects in the
state as key to creating access to the Atlantic Ocean and economic
prosperity, stressed that the construction of such projects worth billions
of naira would attract development and socio-economic progress to the
state.
According to him, while the road from Nembe to Brass alone would gulp
about N100 billion, “Bayelsa economy will remain stifled if there is no
access to the sea where its wealth lies.”
The governor commended the NDDC for the award of contracts in Bayelsa
states, but however, decried the number of abandoned projects in the
state, which he attributed the development to the over-politicization of
the activities of the commission.
Dickson said, “The NDDC should move away from the era of using the
commission as a conduit to service the vested political interest, but
rather NDDC should serve the interest of the Niger Delta people and
channel available resources on projects that can affect the development
and prosperity of the region.”
The Governor also called on the Federal Government to constitute the
governing and advisory boards of the commission to enable governors and
stakeholders of the region make inputs, concerning the award of critical
projects that are beneficial to the people.
He said, “No doubt, contracts were awarded for development projects in
Bayelsa but they were abandoned after the payment of mobilization fees.
So, in Bayelsa State, you have a litany of abandoned projects in every
community, which is not fair. Beneficiaries of these contracts, who
thought that the NDDC was just there as a cash cow for them to enrich
their pockets at the expense of the impoverished people, who are in need
of development is very unfair.”
Semenitari said, the purpose of her visit to Bayelsa was to assess
on-going projects and identify areas of immediate intervention according
to needs.
According to her, the NDDC has awarded a total of 28 regional projects
from its inception, out of which 2 have been commissioned, 20 on-going,
while 6 are yet to kick off.
While explaining that a total of 658 other projects have also been awarded
covering shore protection, repair of roads, sand-filling, construction of
jetties and electrification, she said the abandoned Akenfa bridge project
was awarded at the cost of N800 million out of which 50 per cent
mobilisation has been paid.
She condemned the kidnapping of an expatriate and killing of two soldiers
attached to SETRACO by gunmen last week at the site of the Ogbia-Nembe
road project, lamenting that, the development would stall the
commissioning of the project earlier scheduled for April 29.