The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission has said the regional commission must be allowed to achieve the purpose for which it was established.
The committee had paid an oversight visit to the NDDC corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and some of its projects across the state.
Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the visit, said the parliament would be made to deliver on its mandate to the people of Niger Delta.
Tunji-Ojo said the committee had resolved to work with the management team of the NDDC and other critical stakeholders to resolve the lingering issue of abandoned projects in the commission.
The lawmaker stated that the committee was prepared to enable the NDDC to put a mechanism in place to complete the abandoned projects across the Niger Delta region.
Tunji-Ojo said the committee had resolved that only contractors with capacity should be awarded contracts by the NDDC.
“This is an additional measure to mitigate contract failure and enhancement of value added service to the Niger Delta region,” the lawmaker stated.
Tunji-Ojo also stated that a review and implementation of the Niger Delta master plan was long overdue, urging all critical stakeholders to jointly review and implement the master plan of the NDDC.
The lawmaker also called for an amendment of the NDDC Establishment Act to rework the commission’s activities.
The Sole Interim Administrator of NDDC, Effiong Akwa, who agreed with the committee that only contractors with capacity should be awarded contracts, also backed the proposal to review the commission’s master plan.
Akwa urged the committee to forgive the commission for its wrongdoings in the past while calling for a robust working relationship between the lawmakers and the NDDC.
