Okowa receives NDDC Senate Committee, calls for proper funding of Commission

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has described funding of budget and the use of incompetent contractors in the execution of projects as key factors militating against speedy development of the Niger Delta region.

The governor made the observation Thursday (29/09/16) in Asaba when he played host to the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta led by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

Governor Okowa exchanging pleasantries with members of senate committee
 on NDDC.

Governor Okowa who decried the poor state of infrastructure in the Niger Delta and the attendant unrest in the region, called for the proper funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The terrain of the Niger Delta is very bad and it is very expensive to execute projects, especially, roads in the region,” he asserted. 

He also suggested that to tackle the problems bedeviling the region, budget should be prepared in line with the quantum of oil produced by communities, decrying situation where some communities which contribute a lot to the national purse have little or nothing to show for such.

“This oversight function of the Senate Committee will stimulate activities that will encourage a win-win situation for everybody,” the governor said while commendng the Senate Committee for carrying out its oversight functions of visiting project sites of the NDDC.

Member representing Patani constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly  
Hon. Tonye Timi (right) with Mr. Patrick Ukah, commissioner for Information
at the courtesy visit of the NDDC senate committe.

He described the amnesty programme for ex-militants as a laudable programme but, observed that there was still a lot to be done for it to make the desired impact on the people.

The governor disclosed that it was wrong for beneficiaries of the amnesty programmes to be left idle without being properly engaged after their training.

Earlier, Senator Nwaoboshi had told the governor that the committee was in Delta State to carry out its oversight function on the NDDC and the amnesty committee, stating that such visit would enable the committee to “give a holistic report to the Senate.”

Senator Nwaoboshi disclosed that since the inception of the NDDC, a total of 1, 674 projects have been awarded in Delta State which represents 20 per cent of the total number of projects awarded by the interventionist agency but, decried the fact that more than 50 per cent of the projects have been abandoned.

On the amnesty programme, Senator Nwaoboshi said, “we are going to have a public hearing on the amnesty programme and we want the state government to send position papers on the way forward and attend the event.”