NDDC Board
The House of Representatives Committee investigating abandoned projects in the Niger Delta has summoned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emiefele to appear before it on Sept. 16.
The committee also summoned the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and all the directors of the commission to appear.
This followed a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Yussuf Buba sequel to the failure of the officials to honour invitation of the committee to appear for an investigative public hearing on Tuesday in Abuja.
The committee resolved to issue a warrant of arrest on any of the officials that failed to appear.
It also invited the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta, the immediate past Managing Director to appear before the committee on Sept. 17.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the House was determined to use every legislative instrument to address the challenges of the South South.
Gbajabiamila, represented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Rep. Peter Akpatason, said that the zone was faced with environmental and health challenges.
The speaker said that the challenges had not been addressed over the years and that the House was ready to advance the course of the zone.
He said that the House would challenge any factor responsible for abandoned projects in the area with the view to complete them.
Gbajabiamila urged the stakeholders to take advantage of the public hearing to make information free to the committee to enable the House to achieve its goal.
Also, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Nicholas Ossai said that the committee was out to determine the cost of projects, the period, the state of completion and the constraints.
Ossai said that the House was determined to revive and complete the projects to benefit the people of the zone.
The chairman said that the committee was out to get the views of stakeholders and to expose corruption, waste and incompetence.
Ossai said that the abandoned projects had become a conduit pipe to siphon public funds to the detriment of the communities.
In his presentation, the Commissioner for Works in Akwa Ibom, Mr Ephraim Ineaivg-Eyen said that there were a total of 384 abandoned federal projects in the state.
He said that there were 104 abandoned projects in Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District and 148 in Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District.
He also said that there were 132 abandoned projects in Akwa Ibom North-East (Uyo) Senatorial District.
The Commissioner said that the projects include road construction, blocks of classroom projects and solar projects, among others.
He said that the Akwa Ibom State Government was ready to work with the committee to ensure the projects were completed.
He expressed confidence in the committee and in the Executive in ensuring the projects were completed for the benefit of the people.
Also, Mr Kimiebi Ojujoh, the Chairman, Project Monitoring Committee Egbema Leaders of Thought, who represented the Edo and Delta communities, said that there was a litany of uncompleted projects in the state.
He said that the committee would be furnished with details of the projects on a later date.(NAN)
