Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, called on the Niger Delta Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to facilitate release of funds so that work can resume on stalled projects across the state.
Governor Otti made the request yesterday while receiving Engr. Abubakar Momoh, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, who was on an inspection visit to Abia.
Governor Otti attributed the project abandonment primarily to outstanding debts owed to contractors. He urged the Minister to intervene and resolve these payment issues.
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“There’s an abandoned NDDC project right here [in Isialangwa South] that stretches all the way to the Expressway,” Governor Otti explained. “The reason for abandonment is that the contractors haven’t been paid since 2018.”
He highlighted similar situations in Umuahia and Aba, expressing hope that resolving the payment backlog would entice contractors to return to the sites.
“I am sure that the details can be provided for you to get them to come back to work.
“There are others around Umuahia, around Aba, and if we can get them to come back to work, I would really appreciate it, but the major issue is about payment.
“Sometimes in the past, it was like a herculean task to get paid when handling NDDC project, so if you can look into it, you can get alot of the projects that were abandoned back to life,” Governor Otti said.
Governor Otti emphasized the importance of both the ministry and NDDC to Abia’s development.
“I want to say that Niger Delta Ministry and of course the Niger Delta Development Commission, both of them are very important to us because these are two institutions that represent us at the same time even though we own one, that is the NDDC but the ministry we do not own.
“You also chose to inspect the road projects under you and under the NDDC, so we are quite pleased. These agencies are very important to us as interventionist in the normal course of the business of governance. The truth is that any road done by either the ministry or agency under you is a plus to the state and we will not go back to it,” the governor said.
Momoh lauded Governor Otti’s achievements in infrastructural development and improved security within a short time frame. He appealed to the Governor to prioritize peace-building initiatives for the continued economic prosperity of the region.
“Your Excellency, you’re one person that everybody loves because when the issue of visiting your state was mentioned there was no dissenting voice. I was surprised that the Hon. Minister from this state (Abia) from the other divide (opposition party), was also in support just like the president himself said, yes. I think you’re generally loved by the people.
“From afar, we have also witnessed your developmental strides, I was reading recently and saw that less than a year that you came onboard, 10 major road projects have been executed in the state,” the minister noted.
The minister’s entourage included members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Dimbiagwu Okechukwu (Chairman) and Hon. Obi Aguocha, alongside the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore.