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Tag: Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)

  • Court orders forfeiture of NDDC director’s N800m Lekki property

    Justice Chuka Obiozor of Federal High Court in Lagos  on  Thursday ordered the temporary forfeiture of four landed property in Lekki allegedly belonging to a former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Executive Director of Projects, Mr. Tuoyo Omatsuli.

    The judge made the order based on an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The commission said the land, valued at N846.03million, was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

    EFCC accused Omatsuli of receiving kickbacks from a contractor to the NDDC on no fewer than 11 occasions.

    An EFCC operative, Adamu Yusuf, said Omatsuli allegedly received a bribe of N3, 645,000,000 from a consultant to the NDDC, Starline Consultancy Services Limited.

    EFCC said the firm was engaged to help NDDC recover its statutory three per cent annual budgets of oil and gas producing companies in the Niger Delta.

    Read Also: NDDC to complete 25km road project in Imo – Ekere

    Yusuf said it was agreed that Starline Consultancy Services would be paid 10 per cent commission on the total funds recovered.

    Starline Consultancy Services, he said, got the help of the House of Representatives Committee on NDCC, which wrote to the oil and gas companies to demand that they pay their statutory levies to the NDDC.

    According to the operative, Starline Consultancy Services eventually succeeded in the job and was paid N10, 218,019,060.59 as its 10 per cent commission between August 22, 2014 and June 25, 2015.

    Yusuf said: “Omatsuli agreed and received kickbacks to the tune of N3, 645,000,000.000 from Starline Consultancy Services Limited through Building Associates Limited, whose alter ego is Francis Momoh (an ally of Mr. Omatsuli).”

    The anti-graft agency presented a table showing that Omatsuli allegedly received kickbacks 11 times from Starline Consultancy Services between August 28, 2014 and September 8, 2015.

    EFCC’s lawyer Ekene Iheanacho said it would be in the interest of justice to order the temporary forfeiture of Omatsuli’s landed property in Lekki Peninsula to the Federal Government.

    Justice Obizor granted the order and directed EFCC to publish it in a national newspaper to enable anyone interested to show cause as to why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    He adjourned until June 19.

  • NDDC to complete 25km road project in Imo – Ekere

    The Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) plans to complete 25-km dual carriage way to connect Imo and Rivers states, an official said.

    Mr Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of NDDC, gave assurance while inspecting the road project, according to a statement by the commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, on Monday in Port Harcourt.

    Ekere said the project would run through Port Harcourt Owerri junction-Avu-Adapalm-Etekuru-Ohaji Egbema and terminate at Ogba Egbema Local Government Area in Imo.

    He said: “The road is very important project for the NDDC and the Niger Delta. It will enhance regional integration which is one of the things the current things that we are passionate about.

    “Also, the expansion of the road means that the project will cumulatively amount to constructing 50-km of road.

    “This is so because 25-km of the existing road will be totally reconstructed,” he said.

    According to the statement, Ekere also inspected construction of internal roads in Umueze, Ehime Mbano and Obolo, Isiala Mbano local government areas in Imo.

    The NDDC boss said that NDDC would construct other undisclosed internal roads spanning four kilometres across the two local government areas.

    “We are committed to building sustainable infrastructure in the region. We don’t want to build roads that will fail after six months.

    “If we are able to complete one kilometre road, then it should be a solid road infrastructure that will last for a long time

    “We are happy with the contractor working on the Obolo-Umueze road for taking measures to guarantee quality delivery considering the challenging terrain of the region,” he said.

    The NDDC boss urged the people to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to develop rural communities in the Niger Delta.

    According to the statement, Eze Igu, the paramount ruler of Umueze 1, thanked the commission for building internal roads in the area.

    “By fixing our roads, the NDDC board and management have shown us love and has given us hope and confidence on the administration of President Buhari,” he said.

    NAN

  • NDDC ’ll proffer immediate solution to landslide in Tuomo – Official

    The Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) says it will proffer immediate solution to the recent landslide that occurred in Tuomo Community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta.

    Mr Ogaga Ifowodo, the Commissioner, Warri Office of NDDC, made the assertion on Wednesday in Warri when he led a delegation on an inspection visit to the site.

    A portion of the shoreline protection project in Tuomo Community collapsed on March 18 due to landslide, but no life or property was lost to the incident.

    Ifowodo said that immediate solution was necessary to protect those houses that were already endangered, while waiting for the long lasting solution.

    According to him, the long lasting solution may involve the conduct of a deep soil investigation to understand the soil formation and quality of the underlying layers of soil.

    “The first step now is to look for immediate solution to protect those houses that are really endangered by the landslide.

    “A more lasting solution is to look for the root cause of the problem, because failure have happened in two places along the shoreline.

    “So, we need to identify what is responsible for the failure; we may need to do deep soil investigation to understand the soil formation.

    “How soon, I cannot say for now, because we are just coming from inspection. We need to get back to the office and do our report,’’ he said.

    Ifowodo said that the commission had two projects- shoreline protection and concrete pavement along that shoreline.

    He said: “We don’t want both projects to be endangered.

    “If we do not take immediate step, we are also exposing ourselves to greater cost of finally remediating the situation because a stitch in time saves nine.”

    Ifowodo appealed to people of the affected community to be patient as urgent step would be taken to address the situation.

    Also, Mr Dada Bamidele, the Civil/Operations Manager of Vibroflotation and Geotechnical Nigeria Ltd., said that contracting firm had described the project as an engineering challenge that require engineering solution.

    “Landslide is a natural phenomenon; there are some geographical formation within the soil that may not be obvious within the surface that is responsible for the disaster.

    “No one pray for this kind of a thing, if you do a job anywhere, you will be glad to see your work stand overtime and serve its purpose,” Bamidele said.

    He urged the community to be more cooperative to ensure that whatever solution proposed would be beneficial to all of them.

    An opinion leader in Tuomo Community, Mr Ebikoro Tabekaemi, blamed the situation on poor job done by the contractor.

    “The other portion of the project failed about two years ago and now this place, the contractor is not serious with the job, that is the truth,” he said.

    NAN

  • Gunmen kidnap two NDDC contractors in Bayelsa

    Gunmen kidnap two NDDC contractors in Bayelsa

    Suspected Gunmen on Tuesday kidnapped two contractors working on one of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) projects in Otuogiri Community, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

    Confirming the incident, Spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, DSP Asinim Butswat, said in Yenagoa that police had arrested the accomplice and that he was undergoing interrogation.

    Lucky Moses, one of the Community Development Committee (CDC) executives in the community, told our reporter that the gunmen stormed the area in the early hours of Tuesday.

    “The gunmen came and began to exchange gun fire with soldiers before whisking away their targets.

    “The victims were two but one was released on the spot, while the other was whisked into a waiting speed boat which zoomed off to an unknown destination.

    “The community caught the accomplice who confessed that he gave information to the abductors; the accomplice has been handed over to security operatives,” Moses said.

    NAN

  • IYC compiles names of politicians behind abandoned NDDC projects 

    IYC compiles names of politicians behind abandoned NDDC projects 

    The Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, Thursday, lambasted some unnamed leaders and politicians in Bayelsa State for hijacking and abandoning contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Rising from their meeting at Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the state capital, the IYC executive members in the zone lamented that the Abuja-based politicians shared the contracts among themselves and collected the money without executing them.

    As part of their resolutions after the emergency meeting, the IYC leaders said they would soon send a list of the jobs, which were abandoned after huge amount of money, was released by NDDC and the politicians behind them to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    They commended the current board of the commission especially the Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, for his uprightness in contract awards but flayed persons, who shortchanged Bayelsa.

    Speaking after the meeting, the Chairman of IYC, Central Zone, Mr. Tare Porri, said the council was pained that NDDC contracts meant for youths to curb restiveness in the state were also cornered by the politicians.

    He said: “We carried out independent investigations and it was revealed that water hyacinth job that was hitherto given to the youths, were diverted by our leaders and politicians. They shared the jobs among themselves and never gave a single job to the youths in this zone.

    “We are aware that some bigwigs in the National Assembly took some of the jobs. Our waterways in our respected communities are blocked because of water hyacinth. They took these jobs without executing them.

    “It is unfortunate that our leaders shared the jobs without given any one to our youths I the central zone. IYC central zone frowns at that and we are condemning that act in its entirety knowing that the jobs were awarded to ensure the actualisation of the purpose of the jobs”.

    Porri hinted that the NDDC was making preparations to award a new set of water hyacinth jobs, but lamented that the same political contractors had engaged in the process of hijacking the jobs.

    “This time around, we will resist any attempt by leaders who do not mean well for the wellbeing of the youths. We are calling on the MD, NDDC to please follow the laid down procedure in awarding the jobs to persons affected by the hyacinth.

    “The jobs should be given to the youths because when we get the jobs we will ensure that the jobs are done”, he said.

    Porri further pointed out that Bayelsa’s share of contracts in the 2017 budget of NDDC were cornered by politicians, who refused to do the jobs.

    He said: “We don’t know the persons that had taken these contracts, but they are Bayelsans. We don’t know where these jobs are located and we don’t know the value of these contracts.

    “We, therefore, use this medium to call on the MD and the entire board of the NDDC to please furnish the IYC with the details of these contracts. This time around, we will not allow any leader to deceive us again.

    “We frown at the attitude of our leaders who are interested in getting contracts from NDDC but they are not interested in executing the projects. Bayelsa State, central zone, happens to be the state that has highest number of NDDC abandoned projects.

    “Why is it that our leaders are not interested in developing our state even when jobs are being given to them? If these jobs were given to foreigners, we would have been raising alarms but this time the jobs were given to our people but they didn’t do them. We are calling on the MD, NDDC, whom we know as a transparent man to please help us furnish us with the details of these contracts”.

    The IYC boss cried out that the same set of politicians took over other emergency NDDC jobs designed to create economic activities in the state.

    He said the politicians were creating confusion in the state and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue Bayelsa from the greed of a few politicians in the state.

    Describing persons involved in the rackets as Abuja-based politicians, he said the contracts were shared among their cohorts in Abuja without recourse to the plight of youths in the state.

    Porri said: “We want our leaders that had taken these jobs to do the needful by executing these projects that were awarded to them. Failure to do this, Ijaw youths will do everything possible to ensure that those who took these contracts are brought to questions.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has resolved to fight corruption. So. We are calling on Mr. President to also help the Ijaw people in the central zone. Our jobs were given to politicians in Abuja not minding what we are going through.

    “In 2017 is when the governor of Bayelsa is trying to construct a road to Agge from Sagbama after 57 years of independence. That road was earlier awarded by NDDC. The governor had to take over the road project.

    “We are calling on the NDDC to work with the governor of Bayelsa state to come up with priority projects that would benefit the collective interest of Ijaw people. As IYC, our interest is development”.

    The IYC boss advised the NDDC board to henceforth award contracts directly to people in the grassroots through established youth structures like the IYC central zone.

  • Bayelsa community bemoans abandonment of road project

    Bayelsa community bemoans abandonment of road project

    Some residents of Polaku community in Bayelsa have expressed dissatisfaction over the abandonment  of the Kolokuma- Sabagriea –Polaku road project by the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ).

    The residents who expressed their feelings in separate interviews in Poluku on Sunday, called for the completion of the road projected.

    The road is mean to link communities in Kolokuma and Opokuma Local Government Areas to Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The Paramount Ruler of Polaku, Chief Barnabas Tarila, said that the project was started over 17 years ago by the NDDC.

    Tarila said that the non completion of the road project had taken a negative toll on the people.

    He said that the abandoned project had made it difficult for communities along the road to realise their economic development potentials.

    An indigene of the community, Oyoro Izon-Owei said the abandonment of the road project had some negative impacts on the socio-economic live of the people.

    Owei said that the people found it difficult to evacuate their farm produce from the area because of lackof good road.

    A human rights activist in the area, Mr. Alagoa Morris, urged the Niger Delta Development Commission to see the completion of the road as a priority.

    Morris said if the Sabagriea-Polaku section of the road had been completed, the traffic gridlock which often occurred between Kaiama and Mbiama on the East-West road would be minimized.

    He said motorists could avoid the bad portion of the east-West road by diverting to the Kolokuma-Polaku road.

    Travelers from Polaku to Yenagoa are now compelled to be ferried across the Taylor Creek, from where they ride on commercial motorcycles to Kaiama, along the East-West road.

    NAN

  • No more war with Executive, says Senate

    No more war with Executive, says Senate

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Wednesday declared that the era of Executive, Legislature face off is over.

    Saraki who made the declaration when he ruled on the a motion alleging irregularity in the renewal of the tenure of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board further insisted that “the days of balderdash was over”

    Following the intervention of Saraki and Senate leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, the Senate resolved to mandate its committee on NDDC to take up the matter with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to articulate amicable resolution of the board tenure extension.

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central)  had in his motion entitled “The illegal extension of the tenure of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”  observed that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established to tackle developmental issues affecting the Niger Delta.

    He further noted that noted that it was in response to the age-long agitation of the people of the Niger Delta that had snowballed into militancy which disrupted oil production and affected our national economic interest that the Commission was established.

    The Beyelsa central lawmaker said that the Commission consists of a Board made up of members drawn from the States of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

    He observed that Section 4 of the act states that the office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst member States of the Commission in alphabetical order.

    He noted that the Chairmanship of the NDDC started with Abia State and has rotated in accordance with the Act up to Cross-River state now.

    Paulker observed that the NDDC Act also states that “where a vacancy occurs in the membership board it shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for the remainder of the term of his predecessor, so however, that the successor shall represent the same interest and shall be appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces subject to the confirmation of the Senate in consultation with the House of Representatives.”

    He noted that that the Board headed by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN was appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to replace the one headed by Senator Bassey Henshaw.

    He observed further that Section 5 (2) of the Act dictates that the Board headed by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN serves out the remainder of the term of the board chaired by Senator Bassey Henshaw will terminate in December 2017.

    He noted that contrary to the clear provisions of Section 5 (2) of the N DPC Act, the tenure of the present board of the Commission has been illegally extended to 4 years by the immediate past Acting secretary to Government of the Federation, Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal.

    He added that contravention of the NDDC Act portends grave danger to the relative peace we enjoy in the Niger Delta and prayed the Senate accordingly resolve to mandate the Committee on Niger Delta to investigate the illegal renewal of the tenure of the present Board of the Commission.

    Hardly had Paulker concluded his submission than the Senate Leader, Lawan called for caution.

    The Yobe North lawmaker said that he engaged the SGF to find out what happened.

    Lawan said that since the new SGF had shown sufficient inclination to work with the National Assembly, he should be given the benefit of the doubt to resolve the issue.

    Saraki on his part said that the matter should be referred to the NDDC Committee to take up the matter with the SGF for resolution.

    The Senate President who said that “the days of balderdash are over” noted that “in the spirit of new relations between the Executiive and the Legislature; the matter should be taken up with the SGF.

    Former SGF, Babachir David Lawal had described the Senate as “talking balderdash” for indicting over grass cutting contract in the North East.

    Findings showed that the resolution to take up the issue with the SGF following the intervention of the Saraki was informed by the need to promote the new found rapport between the Executive and the Legislature.

    A source close to the Senate President recalled that the recent appointment of a new SGF occasioned the visit of the new SGF to the leadership of the National Assembly to improve and strengthen Executive-Legislature relationship.

    The Senate leadership, he said, “may also have been moved to support the reform minded initiative of the present NDDC leadership. “

    He noted that the matured handling of the motion by the Senate leadership had gone further to “underscore and demonstrate the determination of the Senate to support the core mandate of the NDDC as an interventionist agency.”

    According to him, “on this the NDDC leadership on its part is required to focus in its present commitment to develop the region and make the agency responsible.”

    A document made available to reporters marked “Re: Clarification on the tenure of the governing Board of the of NDDC” indicated various conditions a vacancy can occur in the NDDC governing board.

    The document specifically said that “the previous Board of the NDDC was dissolved and its tenure extinguished.”

    It added that “Dissolution of the Board cannot be categorized as a vacancy under the Act. Dissolution signifies total extinguishment of the Board, it simply ceases to exist, and therefore there cannot be any reminder of any term which a successor is expected to complete. There has to be a fresh composition of the Board for a fresh term of four years.”

     

  • RSUST, students laud NDDC for donating 522-bed hostel

    RSUST, students laud NDDC for donating 522-bed hostel

    The Rivers State University of Science and Technology ( RSUST ) authority and students, have lauded the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) for the donating an ultra-modern 522-bed hostel worth N427 million to female students of the institution.

    The three-storey state-of-the-art hostel accommodation built for female students has continued to generate encomium nearly two years after it was inaugurated.

    The hostel is equipped with 171 rooms; two common rooms, paraplegics facilities; beautified internal court yards, green areas, cyber café and water treatment tanks, among other facilities.

    Some of the students, parents and university management made this known on Tuesday the hostel had eased accommodation deficit in the university campus.

    The respondents added that the complex has drastically lessened hardship and unnecessary exposures of students to shylock landlords and reckless life outside the campus.

    Ms Kate Brown, a 400-level student of Chemical Petroleum Department, said that she had squatted with six other students outside campus before NDDC prototype hostel came on stream.

    She said due to acute shortage of bed spaces in the past that many students were forced to seek male partners outside campus while some moved in with their “Aristo” lovers.

    “Before now, hostel accommodation in the campus could be likened to a prison. The living condition was extremely uncomfortable and not suitable for learning.

    “We struggled with poor ventilation and poor toiletry system that exposed us to contagious infection. But thanks to NDDC all that has changed now with the prototype hostel,” she said.

    A 300-level student, Boma Fynface, said the inability of school management to tackle the accommodation deficit head-on by building additional hostels had been a source of concern.

    “NDDC hostel has really ameliorated the sufferings of students. But NDDC alone cannot provide the entire accommodation infrastructure that is needed to improve living condition of student.

    “The state government, university management and private companies should come to our aide by replicating the NDDC hostel in the campus,” he said.

    President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Mr Bestman Azuonwu, said that the hostel has reduced cases of rape of female students who before now resided outside campus.

    The unionist said the hostel has been helpful to the student community and parents who paid exorbitant funds to secure accommodation for their children and wards outside campus.

    “We also want NDDC to build another hostel for male students and assist us to complete walkways from Faculty of Engineering to Faculty of Sciences,” he said.

    Also speaking, Dr Gregory Ademola, a lawyer and father of two students, said that there was need for government to address accommodation challenges on campuses across the country.

    He said that most hostels on campuses were known to be terribly bad, insanitary, congested and overcrowded which impeded the capability of students to learn effectively.

    “These realities made me to rent a self-contain apartment for my two daughters outside campus; I paid N190, 000 rent per annum, including transportation – which wasn’t easy.

    “I had no choice other than to move them due to difficulties to secure accommodation and unhygienic condition of the old hostels.

    “But, immediately NDDC hostel came on board; I quickly relocated them to the hostel; this intervention by NDDC is truly commendable,” he said.

    Dr Isaac Obipi, the Dean Student Affairs of the University, said the hostel has had immense impact on campus and was currently accommodating 672 female students.

    He said the university management was particularly impressed that the hostel was built for female students whose need for lodging was rather peculiar compared to their male counterpart.

    According to him, male students could operate from long distances or from their homes as their exposure to security risk is considerably less compared to that of the female student.

    “So, the hostel accommodation has been of tremendous help not only to the students; the entire university community but has giving the university an architectural facelift.

    “There is now privacy as four to five rooms in a section share one convenience as opposed to the old hostesl where a whole floor share fewer toilets and bathroom,” he said.

    Obipi said, however, that some of the reticulation and water facilities have fallen apart, faulting the competence of the contractor.

    He urged the commission to build more hostels and laboratories for students; sponsor researches and endower professional chairs for research and application of research findings in the university.

    The project awarded in 2004 at the initial contract cost of N1.230 billion, was later reviewed downwards by the commission to N427 million.

    NAN

  • Minister updates Buhari on NDDC, ongoing projects, others

    Minister updates Buhari on NDDC, ongoing projects, others

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Usani Uguru Usani on Monday in Abuja updated President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities at the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ).

    He made this known while speaking to State House correspondents.

    “For a while, he has not been round and their things he needed to know from me.

    “So, I had to brief him on issues pertaining to the ministry, the projects that are going and other anthropogenic issues that have to do with the general matters concerning the Niger Delta region especially, at the throw up of some of the concerns bothering on who is right to speak for, who not right to speak for, and then the issues of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

    “All these occupied our discussion with the President today.’’

    On the recent threat by Niger Delta Avengers to resume attacks on oil installations, the minister stated that the issue was not discussed during his meeting with the president.

    He, however, maintained that the Federal Government would continue to dialogue with all aggrieved groups in the Niger Delta region with a view to ensuring peace and stability in the country.

    “Well, we haven’t discussed the Avengers per se. But, the President has always shown indication that whatever we need to and can do to sustain peace in the region, we would continue to do it.

    “And of course, the benefit of that, you are aware that the Vice President has been chairing the committee that handles the issues they are raising.

    “And so, while that goes on operationally, the President just needs to be briefed on our efforts though we know that the Vice President is briefing him from time to time but per se, the Avengers issues was not discussed.

    “On a general note, it is understood that we have to be engaged to be able to sustain the peace that prevailed for a while,’’ he added.

    The minister described the slow pace of work on the East West road project as unfortunate.

    He said: “But we all have to appreciate one thing. Such physical infrastructure don’t decay over night and so the neglect has continually put continues liability on us.

    “Yes, it’s true that I met with the contractors, appealed to them to go back to site, we have also been very conscientious in releasing funds.’’

    NAN

  • Obaseki pledges to reconstruct Benin-Abraka road within 24 months

    Obaseki pledges to reconstruct Benin-Abraka road within 24 months

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has pledged to reconstruct the Benin – Abraka Road in Orhionmwon Local Government Area within 24 months to boost economic activities in the area and state in general.

    Obaseki made the pledge at Abudu, headquarters of Orhionmwon LGA during his thank-you-tour of the local council on Tuesday.

    He said the state has entered into partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to reconstruct the road and promised that the state will take full responsibility for the road even if NDDC fails to pay its counterpart funds.

    He decried the level of development in the area despite the large land mass in the LGA and promised to industrialise the area.

    “The state has approved the contract for a 5,000-hectare cassava production farm in Orhionmwon to be used for ethanol production,” he said.

    He used the occasion to debunk the rumour that there was division in the party and clarified “we are one in the All Progressives Congress (APC), there was misunderstanding but not division.”

    The governor received defectors who were led by their leaders from wards in Abudu, Igbanke and Evboesi towns in the council to the All Progressives Party (APC).

    Earlier, the APC Chairman in the council, Mr Matthew Ehigie, while welcoming the governor to the council, called for the strengthening of the unity in the party so that it would achieve more successes at future polls.

    Ehigie appealed for the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka Road, and added that other areas of need would be communicated to the governor.