WARRI — The Delta State Government recommended yesterday that the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) be repositioned and its action plan reviewed to focus on the provision of capital intensive amenities like roads and bridges in the riverine areas of the Niger-Delta.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, told reporters that the Federal Government should, through the Commission, take up the construction of bridges and other capital intensive projects along the riverine areas and allow the state governors focus on complementing with healthcare and other basic amenities.
Uduaghan said “the Federal Government has tried to be involved in developing the areas. They are trying to get involved through the NDDC, and I have my reservation for that because most times the Commission is underfunded. So, the responsibility of the Federal Government towards these part of the country is left alone for the states. This is wrong.
“Take for instance, the road between Onitsha and Benin, it was tarred during this political era by the Ministry of Works. There is, however no Ministry of Works project in the riverine areas. There is none. What we are saying is that as they tar the roads in the urban areas, they should look at the riverine areas. Let them take up the bridge projects. Two in Delta, two in Bayelsa, two in Rivers and other states. And if they do that, the states would complement with roads because it is expensive to build bridges.”
He pointed out that though the state government has taken up the construction of four bridges within the riverine areas of the state, “we know it is expensive and it takes a huge heart.
“So, we are saying that even if they have to control the NDDC, they should be allowed to focus on these areas. We are saying the Federal Government should pay more attention to the NDDC. Let the Commission, under two years, use eighty percent of their money in bridge projects and leave free health alone to the state government.”
On the cry of neglect by the reverine areas in the area of accelerated project execution, the Delta SSG admitted that the slow pace of work by government was caused by the escalated cost and the issue of youth restiveness.
Uduaghan noted that the cost of citing a project in the reverine areas is three times those of providing for the urban areas. “The problem we have in the area is that of a difficult terrain. It is not that we have not reached them, but we have two major problems. One is that the cost of citing of projects in the riverine areas is more than that of other areas. What people don’t know is that to get fuel in the reverine areas is about ten times what you buy in town. To run a boat to move materials to work them. Second is the problem, we met and are trying to tackle. The problem of youth restiveness that has over the years prevented projects to be assigned to the area.”
