January 2, 2018

Mr Williams Makinde, Managing Director, Delta Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has said that the commission will focus on the completion of ongoing projects in the oil producing communities rather than awarding new ones.

Makinde disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing newsmen in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta.

He said that it would be unwise for the commission to award new projects in 2018 while most of the existing ones were yet to be completed.

“It will be of no use embarking on thousands of projects that will be abandoned later.

“We will definitely complete our centralised projects in 2018. Those that are 92 per cent, we will increase the funding in order to complete them.

“We don’t want to leave hundreds of projects hanging around uncompleted. The people should not expect a new project in 2018.

“However, the communities we have not visited before in our catchment areas, we will ensure we put in something,” he said.

The DESOPADEC boss, who has eight months left in his tenure, commended Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta for the prudent management of the resources coming into the state.

He said that the commission had an initial financial challenge at the beginning of 2017, adding that most of the challenges had gradually faded away with improved monthly funding by the governor.

“We appreciate Gov. Okowa for his support in the past five or six months by way of releasing money for DESOPADEC to fund some of those projects,” Makinde said.

He also commended the oil producing communities in the state for their patience and understanding, assuring that things would get better.

“Now that things have improved, they will see the impact of the commission and we will speed up our activities in the mandate areas,” he said.