Work on the 13-floor permanent headquarters complex of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), at the Eastern By-Pass, Port Harcourt, has reached an advanced stage. This followed the recent transfer of the project to a new contractor.
The Commission’s Executive Director, Projects, Samuel Adjogbe, who inspected work on the new headquarters yesterday, said work on the project was delayed due to slow cash flow which had affected the pace of work by the contractors.
He said, however, that the funding challenge had been addressed with the recent release of money for the project. He affirmed: “We were able to pay some money to the contractors and hopefully by next week we will release more funds for the project.”
Adjogbe expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the main building and other ancillary structures, comprising facilities such as a medical centre, restaurant, bank, car parks, among others.
He declared: “In terms of quality and safety, I am satisfied. But in terms of progress, we need to do more. We ought to have gone very far in the project by now were it not for financial constraints.
“Most of the equipment have been acquired and delivered to site waiting for installation. We are encouraging the contractor to go into day and night duty shifts to enable us record more progress.”
The Executive Director Projects said that when the current NDDC board took over in November 2016, it decided to fast-track the project, hence, the injection of a new lease of life into the project.
Adjogbe assured that the NDDC would provide all the necessary support to ensure that the project was completed expeditiously, stating that the Commission would not compromise on both the quality and approved designs.
The Project Coordinator, Architect Felix Darko, promised to achieve the targets set for the completion of the building once funds were released as and when necessary.