The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has advised the Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, to focus more on building big ticket
projects that would connect states in the region.
The governor was speaking yesterday when the NDDC Acting Managing Managing
Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari visited him at his residence in Owerri.
Owelle Okorocha said that as an interventionist agency NDDC should not
bother itself with the renovation of primary and secondary school
buildings, as well as small water projects and health centres. “I will
like to see a change in the NDDC. The earlier I see NDDC change its style,
the better for everyone.” he said.
The governor applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Mrs.
Semenitari as the NDDC Chief Executive Officer, describing her as a
courageous woman who stuck out her neck to ensure the victory of the
current governing party in the country. He expressed confidence on the
ability of the new NDDC helmsman to make a difference.
“I urge you to follow the mandate of the Buhari administration to complete
all on-going projects. This is a new government and everyone knows the
President has zero tolerance for corruption,” the governor said.
Addressing the governor earlier, Mrrs. Semenitari remarked that the NDDC
was established to intervene and bridge the development gaps in the Niger
Delta region, as well as renew the sustainable livelihoods of the people.
She said that the commission had tried to meet the expectations of the
people as an agency that would fundamentally address the dire challenges
of regional development, from physical infrastructure needs to human
capacity development.
She said: “Since inception, the commission has completed 242 projects in
Imo State. I have just inspected some of them and I must confess I am far
from impressed with the kind of work I saw on some of the projects. Of
great concern was the Assa road project which I have been briefed has been
cancelled. I was also concerned about the dualisation of the Avu to
Etekwuru road project which would connect 6 communities and increase
economic activities around the Amafor market and the general Owerri West
and Ohaji/Egbema local Government areas.”
According to Mrs. Semenitari, “we cannot continue to ignore the potential
of our intervention in the Niger Delta to impact positively on the lives
of our people. Neither can we continue to give to our people such
substandard projects, because their faith in us is not substandard. They
have invested far too much in this great country to receive such
treatment. I have told my engineers that such delivery cannot be accepted
and we will put every strategy in place to ensure that our projects become
worthier.”
The NDDC boss listed some projects for which, she said, NDDC was proud to
be identified with. One of this, she said, was the two 522-bed space
hostels built by the commission for the Imo State University and the
Federal University of Technology, Owerri. She said that the projects had
added great value to the university communities and alleviated their
accommodation challenges.
“We have, indeed, built several roads, undertaken rural electrification
projects of communities such as in Okigwe, Umuenyi in Isiala-Mbano, in
Awa/Akabor, as well as donated over 400 transformers to many other
communities in the state. We have also carried out free medical missions
to many rural communities, as well as donated medical equipment and drugs
to hospitals.”
She appealed to the governor to set up a strategic team that would
interface with NDDC on a regular basis to find ways of partnering with the
state government to put an end to the problem of duplication of projects.