he Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has declared the firm commitment of the commission to complete the 3.6-kilometre Okrika – Borokiri Road with three bridges connecting Kolabi, Abotoru and Okpoka creeks to Port Harcourt. He also promised the completion of Obuama internal roads, in Degema Local Government Area.
Ogbuku made the promise when he led a top management team of the commission on the inspection of the project sites in Okrika and Obuama and visits to the Amayanabo of Okrika, Chief Ateke Tom and former militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo.
After inspecting the bridge project in Okrika, Ogbuku said that the Commission would revive the project because of its massive benefits to the people. He was accompanied by the Commission’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Maj. Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd.), the Executive Director, Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, and other directors.
Ogbuku noted that the project connects several communities to the Rivers State capital “It is one project that can take traffic off Aba Road and East West Road. You will find people living in Okrika, Akpajo, Eleme commuting to Port Harcourt through the road,” adding that, the road would reduce traffic congestion on the refinery road as well as reduce travel time from Okrika to Port Harcourt.
At the palace of Ateke Tom, the NDDC managing director said the team was in Okrika to find out why the projects in Okrika had stalled for many years.
“We have inspected about two major projects. These projects, from our findings, are all stalled for many reasons. We felt the need to find out why the projects are stalled and the need for us to re-activate them.
“We assure you that work will soon resume on these projects. For example, the bridge that links Port Harcourt to Okrika, is a very laudable project which is going to ease traffic on the East-West Road; it is an alternate route to Okrika.
“For us to succeed, we believe that we need the cooperation of everybody. We need the cooperation of the traditional institutions, the state governments and the youths. We are trying to engage the youths.
“I assure you, our achievements are already being felt and we are ready to do more and better than what we are doing already,” Ogbuku said.
Responding, King Ateke Tom urged the NDDC to expedite action on some stalled projects in his kingdom like the Okrika-Borokiri Road and bridges; the Okuru to Ogba Road and bridge, as well as the reclamation of Okhai-Ama to Okochiri Mangrove.
The Okochiri Monarch also requested the NDDC to partner with his Kingdom in promoting the Okochiri International Beach Festival and Carnival, which, according to him, “promote peace amongst our people.”
At Obuama while inspecting the six-kilometre internal roads in the community, the NDDC MD re-affirmed the commitment of the commission to complete all on-going projects in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku later paid a courtesy visit to the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, where he said that NDDC was eager to complete all the projects in the community,
“We will look at all the issues raised by the community to ensure that the projects are completed for the benefit of the people. Every community in the region deserves to benefit from NDDC project.
“I had to personally come to inspect the projects here, given my deep and special ties to the people. I could not leave the inspection to the NDDC Project Monitoring and Supervision Department,” he said.
Responding, Dokubo pledged to assist the Governing Board of the NDDC to stabilize so that it can work effectively for the people of the Niger Delta region.
He said, “I am very humbled by this visit. It is not every time that an NDDC MD will come with his entourage. We have known most of the MDs but he is the only one who has come to see me, I am grateful. I am not going to ask for anything from him, because the community is saturated with NDDC projects that are stalled.
“I think if my brother will assist in completing these projects, we are satisfied. We are not going to ask for more. The chiefs have already told him, these projects were there before but were stalled and for various reasons. Now, we pray that by the grace of God they will be completed.”
At a town hall meeting, the Chairman of Obuama Council of Chiefs, Alabo Stanley Dick Harry, praised the NDDC for the projects it had executed in the community and urged the commission to complete other on-going projects.
