The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has put more vigour into the monitoring of its projects across the Niger Delta region in its determination to fast-track the development of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
This strategy was made known by the Managing Director of the commission, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, during an inspection tour of road projects in Akwa Ibom State.
He said that there was the need to intensify the efforts of the commission with respect to supervision and inspection to facilitate the speedy completion of on-going projects in the nine states covered by the NDDC.
The inspection, took the NDDC top officials, led by the Sir Dan-Abia and the representative of Akwa Ibom State on the board of the NDDC, Mr Etim Inyang (Jnr), to several projects which included roads in Etinan, Ibiono and Itu Local Government Areas.
Inspecting the 15-kilometre Ikot Isong-Ikot Akpabio-Edem ekpo-Ndon -eyo Road, Sir Dan-Abia expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the completed section but expressed worries that the road was being threatened by erosion.
He promised that appropriate action would be taken to protect the road from the threatening erosion.
The project consultant, Mr Eyo Peters, in spite of the challenges of delays in the payment of compensation to some of the property owners along the road, said all other things were in place to facilitate the completion of the road in the next four weeks.
He praised the communities in the area for cooperating with the contractor even when some of them were still waiting to receive their compensation.
The road traverses several communities and Ibiono in one of the largest local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. the road when completed will link up to the busy Calabar-Itu Road.
