President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, commissioned the new headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), 25 years after the ground-breaking ceremony was done in 1996.
That it took 25 years under 17 CEOs/MDs for the N16 billion 13 Floor Twin Tower Building to be completed underscored the failure of the NDDC as several abandoned projects initiated by the commission spread across communities in the nine oil-producing states.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, whose ministry supervises the commission said in 2019 that about 12,000 projects were abandoned in the region .
Checks by Daily Trust revealed that despite the fact that the NDDC has received over N832 billion, complaints of abandoned and substandard projects echo in the region.
In Akwa Ibom, a state governed by Akpabio for eight years, the projects abandoned by the NDDC range from roads, school and hotel blocks, water schemes among others.
A comprehensive water project in Nduo Ndu Okon Eket village in Eket Local Government Area awarded in 2017 by NDDC to Mangrove Swamp Limited to provide portable drinking water for the people is still uncompleted and has exposed the community to water borne diseases and other health problems.
According to some residents, the sign post carrying the contractor’s name and other vital information has been deliberately removed from site.
In Usung Udo Odueyang village, the non-completion of a two-kilometre road connecting Nduo Ndo 1, and two other villages awarded in 2014 to Eba and Son Limited has become impassable and a nightmare as houses are usually flooded whenever it rains.
Friday Tom Inyang, lkot Ibiok Afaha Atai, Ikot Udofa roads as well as remedial works on failed and unmotorable sections of Senator Helen Esuene Mkpok way in Ikot Udoma and Afa Idung Inyang Use-ekong communities in Eket are all in sorry state because they have been abandoned by contractors.
Communities in the area lamented that the effect of the interventionist agency has not been felt by them as some of the projects have been abandoned for as long as 15 years.
Some leaders of the affected communities said the trend has denied the region and its people from enjoying the dividends of being an oil-producing region as well as negated the benefits the projects would have had on them.
A community leader, Pastor Ita Udoh, blamed the abandonment and poor performance of NDDC on the lack of project supervision and commitment.
He stated that NDDC had no synergy with state governments across the Niger Delta region and called for complete overhauling of the NDDC for the wellbeing of the region.
In Ikot Itak in Ibeno Local Government Area, the Inua Eyet Ikot-Itak Ukpa Okposo road and a bridge awarded to Movanni Global Services Limited and Cadlink Associates Consultant have remained uncompleted after five years.
The road project which was awarded in 2017 was meant to link over twenty eastern riverine communities in Ibeno to ExxonMobil.
In the same area, a land reclamation project meant to protect the shoreline of some villages from being eroded by the sea awarded to Smith Engineering Services has also been abandoned.
Our correspondent could not ascertain the year the project was awarded as the signpost bearing the contractor’s vital information was no longer visible on site.
Residents lamented that the project has been abandoned as there seems to be no hope of completion, adding that it has exposed them to the danger of erosion.
In Oron Local Government Area, some road projects abandoned by NDDC include Mary Hanney road and the Oron Jetty road.
A check on NDDC portal claimed that the construction of 1Km Road at Mary Hanney road (Phase 2) with project number NDDC/HPU/2/AKS/PR/034) has been completed
A resident in the area, Essien Effiong, said the contractor has left some stretch of the road uncompleted.
In Enwang, headquarters of Mbo Local Government Area, some persons blamed top politicians in the state, who acted as contractors over the number of abandoned NDDC projects. They alleged that the contractors abandoned the projects after collecting the mobilisation fees.
A community leader, Elder George Antai, said, “Enwang community is littered with so many abandoned projects by the intervention agency. It’s appalling that some of the contractors are top politicians who abandoned the projects after collecting mobilisation fees.
We appeal to the commission to order the contractors to site to complete the projects. We have over five roads, blocks of classrooms and water projects that have been taken over by tall grasses.”
In Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, some youths threatened that the neglect of the area by federal agencies could lead to a crisis situation if the abandoned projects are not addressed.
One of them, Jonah Adasi, said, “The neglect of the oil-bearing areas of Eastern Obolo since the creation of NDDC has brought untold hardship on the people.
“The major access road from Okoroette, the local government headquarters, to Elile and Amadaka communities which you pass to this place is completely cut off from the rest of the communities. I am happy you saw it and felt the pains as you were coming,” he told our correspondent.
Rivers of uncompleted projects
So many projects initiated by NDDC in Rivers community of Andoni have become worrisome to the residents.
Some of the abandoned NDDC projects in Andoni Local Government Area are the construction of Shore Protection and Sand-filling Of Ataba To Aba -Ijong, and the construction Of Asukoyet Ikuku Asukama Road and Bridge.
According to Andoni Development Initiative, other abandoned projects in the area include, “Supervision and Design of Construction of Ogoloma-Ukaya Road and Drains and Ayama Mission Road, awarded in 2014 to Bondawena Integrated Service, Installation Of 500Kva/11 Transformer at Oka/Ama, Ataba Community, awarded in 2012 to Rilloil Services Ltd, and the rehabilitation Of Water Project at Agwu -Obolo”
A resident of the community, Ntia Ogoloma, said that some of the projects started by the commission and abandoned half way have been a source of worry to the residents.
He called on the commission to endeavour to complete all the abandoned projects.
“Mention one mega project by the NDDC anywhere in Rivers State. The only NDDC megaproject is the Mother and Child Hospital which was to be a joint project. NDDC duped the Rivers State government on the project. NDDC reneged on its agreement with the Rivers State government on the Mother and Child Hospital.
“Even after the state government had released its counterpart fund of 800 Million, NDDC paid only N400Million. NDDC refused to pay any kobo from its N900 Million contribution. We have taken over the project, yet the NDDC has refused to refund our money. If the NDDC fails to refund our counterpart fund, we will drag the commission to court,” he said.
Cross River: Colossal Catastrophe
The people of Cross River State have decried the very slow pace of work or outright abandonment of projects by the NDDC in the state.
Many of these projects litter the three senatorial districts of the state.
In the central part of the state, for instance, the health post in the village of Ekukunela in Ikom Local Government Area has taken forever to complete.
NDDC in May 2000 had contracted a private firm to build a main block of standard cottage/comprehensive health centre in Ekukunela. Construction actually began that same year but three years after, the project was suspended, according to residents.
This run-down facility remains a one-stop health centre for the local people in over 20 years.
The governor of the state, Ben Ayade, had frowned at the agency, saying he was yet to feel their impact, stressing that he does not know about projects they have executed in the state.
He maintained that NDDC has isolated the state, adding that he was shocked by the programmes mentioned by the minister as NDDC projects in the state.
Some of the projects listed under the NDDC intervention programmes were the Atimbo-Akpabuyo road, Akim I road project, Ogoja road project, Ogoja water project, Calabar urban road project.
The governor expressed dismay that they have hardly left the drawing board.
“I am shocked when I hear you reel out all the programmes, activities and projects ongoing in Cross River State and as the governor, I don’t know about them; I am not aware of these projects.
“It’s to tell you how isolated the NDDC is from the state governments. These projects are not known to us,” he said.
Akpabio had disclosed to the governor that the commission was battling with corruption in the award of projects.
A check on the NDDC portal indicated that the commission claimed that more than 200 projects have either been completed or are ongoing in the state.
If the people of the state can borrow from the stylish names for budgets in Cross River as propounded by Governor Ayade, the NDDC will best be described as colossal catastrophe or infinite abandonment.
No luck for Bayelsa
It is the same story in Bayelsa, the state of Goodluck Jonathan, who was president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015.
Daily Trust gathered that there is hardly any community in the state where one or two projects abandoned by the commission are not sited.
The people of Anyama Ogbia in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State pleaded with the commission to facilitate the completion of an abandoned shore protection and reclamation work in the community, which started many years ago.
Anyama Ogbia Community, in a statement in Yenagoa, said that NDDC awarded phase 1 of the emergency shore protection and reclamation works at Anyama Ogbia, in Bayelsa State, during Jonathan’s administration to a contracting firm called ‘Dredging International Services NIG, LTD’ at the sum of N2, 131, 580,000,00, and the contract was supposed to last for 30 weeks.
The statement signed by its chairman, Chief Bennett Ataria, and Secretary, Comrade Owei Aleibharola Potency (JP), explained that the company only succeeded in pumping sand at the community, and abandoned the project.
According to them, the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had also awarded water system, internal roads, and solar light to other two companies in favour of the community through NDDC but all ended in the dark.
They explained that if the projects are completed, it will link the community to the national grid and bring rapid development, progress, peace, unity and improve the living standard of the people in the area.
They lamented that the non-completion of the shore protection project has exposed the community to devastating erosion as houses, school buildings, police post, religion centre including the magnificent Anglican Church building have been eroded.
Also, the Gamac road, Edepie, in Yenagoa Local Government, has been abandoned.
The Chairman of the Concerned People of Gamac road in Edepie, Ebiowei Princewood, in a protest letter addressed to the management of NDDC, said after dropping some materials for the drainage system some months ago, the contractor has gone into thin air without any further information concerning the road.
Abandoned projects cover Imo, Abia, Edo
In Imo State, some of the projects abandoned by the NDDC include the 24 km road linking Rivers State with the oil-producing areas of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta of Imo State, and the building of Nmahu Community Secondary School in the same area.
The only secondary school in the community is in dire need of a facelift. The roofs of some of the classrooms have been blown off while the science laboratory is completely dilapidated. It was gathered that the laboratory, staff quarters and students’ hostel were abandoned.
The rehabilitation of Oguta General Hospital has also been abandoned.
Daily Trust on Sunday was told that the road linking Obodoukwu Community in Ideato North Local Government Area of the state with other communities, awarded in 2015 at the cost of N245 million was abandoned by the contractor after less than 500 metres had been sand-filled.
The Ohanku road awarded by NDDC has become a complete mess and a cause of pain for residents of Abia State.
When Daily Trust visited, the road was flooded and damaged from the Ngwa road end to the express road axis.
Check revealed that the road project was first handled by a contractor named Herbertech Nigeria Ltd, which failed to complete it due to a reported case of inadequate funding. The road has since been abandoned, drawing pain and lamentation from residents, with no sign that contractors would return to site any time soon. It was gathered that over N1bn has been spent on the project.
Further check revealed that Azikiwe Road, Aba, which was listed as a completed road project in the state, is in deplorable condition.
Some residents of Bende Local Government Area also claimed that they are unaware of any water/Solar project executed by NDDC in their community.
In Edo State, residents lamented that they have not benefited much from the commission as most of the projects located in their communities were abandoned while those claimed to have been completed depreciated immediately after commissioning.
Some of the road projects awarded several years ago include Namayo, Ekosodi, and Adolor among others.
Residents said the projects were either abandoned or uncompleted while completed ones are substandard.
Residents said that a water scheme at Uhogua community stopped functioning immediately after commissioning but the NDDC said it was completed and handed over to the people.
Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, last year, urged the House of Representative Adhoc committee on abandoned NDDC projects to probe the claim by the commission that it has spent N20 billion on projects in the state.
He said the state was dotted with substandard and abandoned projects, wondering how such an amount was expended on projects in the state.
No benefit from NDDC
A resident of Namayo, Charles Igbonosa, said they have not benefited from the NDDC projects as the state is littered with abandoned projects
He blamed the development on lack of supervision on the part of the commission.
Another resident who gave his name as Lucky noted that NDDC is characterised by abandoned and substandard projects.
“Go to Aikowa Street at Upper Sakpoba, the road was abandoned. They only spent little time here and before you know it, the rainy season set in and it was abandoned,” he said.
He lamented that the Niger Delta region has not benefited from project execution from the NDDC.
A resident of Uhogua community, Sylvester Igiebor, said the only project they benefited from the commission stopped working two weeks after it was commissioned.
“We thought they did a good job for us but as soon as it was commissioned with fanfare, it stopped working and they are now telling us they gave us water,” he noted.
PANDEF, others react
The Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt said “No inch of construction has been added to the East-West Road, which connects the six states of the South-South Geopolitical Zone, in the almost six-year life period of the present administration. This has led to a situation whereby the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs has been, reportedly, compelled to apportion N15 Billion of its paltry budgetary allocation for the year 2021, to facilitate minimal works on the road”.
The Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), a Niger Delta-based non-governmental organisation, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, called on the NDDC to concentrate on completing ongoing projects in the region instead of awarding new projects.
“With the successful completion and commissioning of NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after decades of abandonment, YEAC called on the commission to also ensure the completion of all its projects abandoned across the Niger Delta over the years. The commission should evaluate the projects, fund contractors, monitor and ensure that all abandoned projects are completed for the people of the Niger Delta to benefit from them. The commission should concentrate on completing abandoned projects other than awarding new ones that may also be abandoned,” he noted.
Abandoned Projects will be completed — NDDC
The Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barrister Effiong Akwa, said that there was a policy direction for the completion of all abandoned projects which have a positive impact on the people.
He stressed that the commission will complete all such projects.
From Abiodun Alade, Lagos, Victor Edozie, Port Harcourt, Iniabasi Umo, Uyo, Willie Bassey, Bayelsa, Eyo Charles, Cross River, Linus Effiong, Umuahia, Usman A. Bello, Benin, Jude Aguguo Owuamanam, Owerri
