UROHI COMMUNITY NDDC ROAD PROJECT: TO MAKE OR BREAK WHOSOEVER! CONTRACTORS MUST KNOW!

LEADING EDO STATE YOUTHS LEAD A PEACEFUL PROTEST WITH UROHI COMMUNITY YOUTHS TO N.D.D.C CORPORATE OFFICE IN BENIN YESTERDAY, OVER POOR & slow CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD IN THE AREA!!!

“THE SYSTEMATIC AND GRADUAL ABANDONING PROCESS OF THE NNDC ROAD PROJECT, THE REASONS FOR THIS SLOW PACE ARE UNCLEARED AND SUSPICIOUS”.

UROHI IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CLANS THAT MAKE UP ESAN PEOPLE AND ESAN WEST LG IN EDO STATE, UNDER THE RULER SHIP OF AN ONOGIE, HRH, AIDENOGIE 1, 

POLITICALLY, UROHI IS A WARD (8) OUT OF THE 10 WARDS IN ESAN WEST LG. IT CONSISTS OF TEN VILLAGES WHICH INCLUDES: EGUARE, OHON, OGHOGHO, EBHOKHUERE, EKHUELE, URONAGHOLO, EKO-OMIGIE, AKUGBE, OVIAWELE AND EBUTE METTA. 
UROHI HAS COMMON BOUNDARIES WITH EKPOMA ON THE NORTH, UJIOGBA ON THE SOUTH -EAST BOTH IN THE ESAN WEST LG, AND UHI/UGIEGHUDU ON THE SOUTH, UHUMWODE LG.

NDDC & CONTRACTORS: LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPERVISION.

NDDC which was established to spearhead the developmental process of the oil producing communities, have achieved near nothing in the past  years of its existence. This was not unconnected with the wrangling, under-funding, lack of proper supervision  and lack of internal accountability within the commission.  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, shortly after his campaign tour of the south-south states, declared that he was going to establish a special agency that will tackle the developmental needs of the Niger Delta region. This he did by sponsoring a bill to the National Assembly for an act to establish NDDC. 

The commission was finally established and given the mandate to ensure speedy development of the oil bearing communities. The commission, among other things was mandated to formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the Niger delta region. The commission was also mandated to conceive, plan and implement in accordance with set rules and regulations, projects and programs for sustainable development of the Niger Delta areas in the field of transportation including roads, jetties and waterways, health, education, employment, industrialization and telecommunications. Other mandate of the commission includes: the preparation of master plans and schemes designed to promote the physical development of the Niger Delta areas and to estimate the costs of implementing such master plans and schemes. 

The commission in a bid to carry out the assignment had to partner with other development agencies as well as hire the services of consultants. The commission hired about 32 sector consultants in preparing the master plan. Having waited for so long for the master plan, that never came to fruition, the commission set up what it called quick impact projects, and an interim action in which it embarked on interventionist programs that would have direct and immediate impact on the people. Urohi Community is part of these people.

But failed projects caused by poor funding, contract awards scandals, unprepared contractors and lack of accountability umbrella the goals under which the Commission was enacted. The incidents of such violations ranged from the award of contracts without due process, non-implementation of the board’s decisions, undue interference with the statutory functions of state representatives to creating a due process unit, which is used as an excuse to perpetrate financial crimes in the commission. NDDC contracts are given to only those who are politically connected; hence they do not make serious efforts to secure these projects.

Like the proverbial King Son, Urohi Community NDDC Road Project is an eye opener for the oppressed and must be completed if the NDDC and Contractors prefer to register their names either with GOLD or BLACK CHALK!

BY PRINCE KELLY UDEBHULU

you can tweet to @princekelly75