The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it will pay more attention to legacy projects with enduring quality for the people of the Niger Delta region.
The Acting Executive Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who spoke during an inspection of projects in Delta State, stated that the Interim Management Committee, IMC, would take steps to re-focus the Commission to its core mandate of transforming Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
Ojougboh said that the NDDC project monitoring team had introduced of a road inspection machine known as, Asphalt/Concrete Coring Machine to fully assess the level of work done on the Commission’s roads to ensure that they met specifications.
The Acting Executive Director of Projects and his technical team, while inspecting the 14.80Km Ojobo-Tamigbe-Bomadi Road in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, expressed satisfaction with the quality of asphalt used on the road, saying that it met NDDC’s specification.
Ojougboh said: “Our desire is that when we as the Interim Board leave the NDDC, we would have laid a track that can lead the Commission to greater goals, so we are taking our time. We do not mind the pains or struggles to make sure that we lay the foundation that will bring up the NDDC to what the founding fathers had in mind.”
He added; “This 14.80Km road project with bridges is a sort of regional project that NDDC should concentrate on. And from what we have seen, the quality of road is encouraging. We want our local contractors to emulate this standard of work.”
Ojougboh said that the NDDC was now operating with a new work ethics, noting: “We are now able to core the asphalts to ensure that the thickness meets our specifications. The only problem we have now is that this multi-billion road contract is grossly over-valued.
“Our quantity surveyors and our team of engineers will see how the Commission can get to the correct and appropriate pricing and then we will now talk with the contractors on how to address the issue. However, this project is something beautiful and commendable.”
Ojougboh stated that NDDC would henceforth insist on such quality performance for all its projects. He thanked the engineering team working for the Commission for their commitment and good works.
The NDDC’s Technical Team also inspected other major projects in Delta State which included, construction of Gbaregolor/Gbekebor/Ogulagha road with Bridges; construction of modern Motor Park with shops/toilets at Esenaebe Community Bomadi Overside, Bomadi LGA. Others were the Reclamation of Abigborodo community and Housing units and Sand filling and the Shore-Protection at Abigborodo; emergency Repairs of failed sections of Ekrerhanwen Orhokpokpor road Agbarho.