Abandonment of Odual road project:
Youth President calls for investigation
By Alice Micah
The President of Odual Youth Assembly, Comrade Dumani Damie has called on the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Chibuzo Ugwoha to investigate the abandonment of the Otuasega-Obedum-Emirikpoko-Anyu-Ekunuga-Okolomade-Emelego-Adada road contract in Abua/Odual local government area, which awarded by it since 2004.
Comrade Dumani made the call in a chat with this reporter last Friday at his home-town Obedum.
According to the Youth leader, the road contract was awarded to A.G. Ferrero Nigeria Limited, a contracting firm, since 2004, alleging that the company had refused to execute the contract since then.
“The road project was awarded by NDDC since 2004 to A.G. Ferrero but the company was yet to start work, neither have they even mobilized to cite. We had written and held meetings with them but they have refused to respond to our calls. It was after a mild protest by youths in the area that they decided to construct two culverts between Oruma and Obedum.
“We want NDDC to come and investigate into the matter and carry out an independent assessment, so that they could determine if the company is competent to carry out the project or not and take decisive action.
“This is the first time a federal government agency would be bringing such project to the area. Odual people have been neglected over the years by subsequent governments. We have a lot of resources, but the people live in abject poverty because there are no social amenities. There can be no development in an area without road. So we call on the NDDC, to as a matter of urgency, come to our aid, by revisiting the project so as to ameliorate the sufferings of the people”, he said.
Comrade Damie told this reporter that A.G. Ferrero had also sub-contracted the project to one Kesyno Global Resources Nig Ltd, now Dio Grandy, but could not get the latter to execute their own side of the bargain, saying it was a deliberate attempt by the contracting firm to sabotage the efforts of the commission and called for urgent action from the Managing Director of the NDDC.
The youth president further informed this publication that the youth body had on the 28th of May, 2009 written to the then Acting Managing Director of NDDC, drawing his attention to the abandonment of the said project and that he acknowledged receipt of the letter, but no action had been taken since then.
“We had in May this year written to the Ag MD/CEO of the NDDC, drawing his attention to the fact that for five solid years that the Odual road contract was awarded to A.G. Ferrero, no tangible work has been done. We have suffered enough, and we want NDDC to take appropriate action. Because from our own findings, this is the first road project that NDDC will be abandoning, and it is not good for their reputation”, Comrade Damie added.
When this reporter contacted the PRO of A.G. Ferrero, Mr. J. Evekpegha, blamed the company's inability to execute the contract on NDDC.
