Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs,
Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, has blamed paucity of funds for the numerous
uncompleted projects in the Niger Delta.
Usani noted that the paucity of funds was made difficult by the economic hardship being experienced in the country.
Usani, however, assured Nigerians that
all ongoing infrastructure projects in the region will be completed by
the present administration.
The minister, who spoke during an
inspection tour of ongoing projects in Abia and Cross River States, said
that it was the desire of the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari to improve the standard of living in the Niger Delta region
through infrastructure development.
At the inspection of the Nkwoagu Isuochi
erosion control project and the Orie-Ngodo-Lombard road projects at
Umunneochi Local Government of Abia State, the minister expressed
displeasure at the slow pace of work on the erosion control project
site.
He said that the federal government was
aware of the destructive effects of erosion on the community, hence the
urgency to curb the menace by putting appropriate measures in place,
within its limited resources.
Noting that quality of work on ground
was not commensurate with invested resources, the minister, subsequently
urged the construction company to make the best use of resources
available to it as well as the best design to ensure that the project
lasts and serves the community efficiently as no shoddy job would be
tolerated.
According to a statement by the
Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Marshall Gundu, the minister
said a technical review of the project’s design would be done as the job
progresses to ensure that the community does not suffer more damage
from erosion.
He disclosed that funds might be sourced
from the Ecological Fund for the timely completion of the project in
addition to budgetary provisions.
In his remarks, Hon. Prince Ikedi
Ezekwesiri, representing Umunneochi in the Abia State House of Assembly,
expressed joy at the project and requested that the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) be involved as a means of adding more
sources of funding for the project.
He also requested that actions should be
expedited to pay contractors handling the projects in the community, on
the premise that “there is money for these projects remaining in the
2017 budget as both have a lot to do with erosion and the rains are fast
coming down”.
Another project that was inspected and
whose slow pace of completion was put on the lack of funds, was the
50-kilometre Obihie-Akwente-Azunmini-Ukanafun road that connects Abia
and Akwa Ibom States though the minister frowned on the use of
substandard designs and materials. The road is 38 per cent complete.
In Cross River State, Usani inspected
the over three-kilometre Okoyong Liberty City Road in Oduakpani Local
Government where he also frowned on the slow pace of work and use of
substandard designs and materials by the constructing company.
He stressed that the quality of work on
all the inspected projects have to be improved upon as a team of
inspectors would return in “four weeks time for re-inspection”.
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