The chiefs and people of Opokuma Clan in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have appealed to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to expedite action in the execution of development projects in their communities.
Presenting a resolution signed by 12 members of the Opokuma Council of Chiefs, nine out of the 12 royal fathers from the area paid an advocacy visit to the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt to call attention to their plight.
The traditional ruler of Opokuma Clan, Chief Okpoitari Diongoli, said that much as they commend the NDDC for embarking upon many development projects in their domain, they were worried that some of them have remained uncompleted for several years.
According to the traditional ruler, some of the projects that have suffered delays included a shore-protection, police post and a water project in Opokuma clan.
In the case of the water project, they said that although the treatment plant was installed, work on the distribution network was stalled, making it non-functional.
Chief Diongoli noted that they were convinced that the NDDC meant well for the people of Opokuma Clan by awarding the various contracts, however, the actions of some of the contractors leave much to be desired and run contrary to the spirit and letter of the core mandate of the commission.
Pleased by the visiting chiefs, the NDDC Managing Director, Bassey Dan-Abia, flanked by some key members of the management board, commended the Opokuma leaders for presenting their grievances in a very articulate way rather than resorting to petition writing.
He assured the chiefs that the current board and management of the NDDC would address their complaints expeditiously to redress the situation. He also told them that the new team had introduced some dynamism in its approach to the implementation of the commission’s mandate.
Dan-Abia reminded them that despite the funding challenges facing the NDDC, priority would be given to ongoing projects to ensure that none was abandoned. He also promised to send a competent technical team to the affected areas to undertake an on-the –spot assessment of the projects that are not doing well.
