By Amos Okioma
Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Representative on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nelson Brambabaifa, has alerted that the state has the highest number of the agency’s abandoned projects.
Though he did not specify the number, he also promised to reverse the trend, while urging the youths and stakeholders in the region to remain calm.
He stated this after his maiden meeting with Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) central zone Chairman, Tare Porri.
He pointed out that the mandate of the NDDC was to fast-track infrastructural development and promised to inform the Managing Director of the NDDC to ensure that abandoned projects in the state were addressed.
“Abandonment of NDDC projects in Bayelsa State is not palatable. We would curb the excesses,” he said.
He disclosed that SETRACO had been mobilized to complete the remaining spots on the Ogbia-Nembe road, assuring that within soon the road would be commissioned.
Also, the chairman of IYC Central Zone, Tare Porri, who was accompanied by about 200 aggrieved youths said that they were in the office to formally express their concern and anger on abandonment of projects by NDDC in the state and also bemoaned alleged allocation of projects to politicians by NDDC as Public Relations, while the state suffers infrastructure deficit.
He therefore called on the NDDC boss to quickly reverse the 44 published projects that were given to politicians as Public Relations.
He also called on the NDDC boss to urgently address the contract of water hyacinths that had been awarded to an Abuja-based politician, just as he urged the NDDC MD to address the Niger Delta Volunteer Force quarter meant for Bayelsa State.
According to him, “NDDC and FG have been unfair to Niger Delta region; have been unfair to the Ijaw,” stressing that of all the nine NDDC state offices it is only the Bayelsa State office that is operating in a rented building and should the Management of NDDC fail to address myriads of their demands, it should be ready to see what the youths are capable of doing, alleging that the current MD is using the commission’s funds to nurture his political ambition.
