Edo community accuses NDDC of abandoning borehole project

Residents of Uhogua community have accused the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of abandoning a borehole it constructed for the community.

Some of the residents, who spoke to our reporter, accused the commission of doing a shoddy job, saying the borehole was constructed in 2018 but packed up just after a month.

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Our reporter, who visited the site observed that the place is covered with weeds while the entrance to the pumping machine is not accessible as it is also covered by weeds.

The bushy nature of the site tells a visitor that the borehole has not been functioning for quite a long time.

One of the residents, Isaac Omoze, said the borehole didn’t work for a month before it was grounded.

He alleged that officials of the commission might have connived with the contractor to do a shoddy job and commissioned it despite knowing that it won’t last.

“The way they rushed to commission the project means something was not well and after the commissioning, it didn’t last long before it stopped rushing,”

Also speaking on  the development, the Assistant Secretary, Uhogua community, Mr Osakioya Eguavoen, said: “After its completion, the project didn’t last for a month before it stopped rushing.”

Osakioya denied the allegation that the project was handed over to the community and that they were supposed to maintain it.

“Before you handover any project to a community, you test run it for a while to see whether it is functioning or not but there was no handover.

“After the so-called commissioning, it only ran for a while and stopped. We informed them but they didn’t come to check it.”

He said they have reported the sudden problem to the commission but didn’t get any response.

He called on the commission to come and rectify the fault so that it would be back to supplying water to them.

He also called on the state government to come to the aid of the community, saying they lack basic amenities, including electricity.

“We have a transformer bought by the community, we have also installed a pole and wire, what remains is just to install the transformer,”

When contacted, the Head, Corporate Affairs, of the commission, Mr Ibotoye Abosede, said the problem was not from NDDC  as the project was completed, commission and handed over to the community

“When it was constructed and ready for commissioning, the people vandalised it. They complained to NDDC who asked the contractor to replace the vandalised items and he did that and it was functioning. It was commissioned and handed over to them in August 2019.”

“They were using it after it was commissioned and handed over to them, maybe they have vandalised it again and not functioning, that was why it is bushy,” he said.

According to him, NDDC has done the needful because the project was functioning, commissioned and duly handed over to them.