NDDC Begins Projects Audit

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has commenced an audit of ongoing projects across the Niger Delta region.

Managing Director of the commission, Dr Christian Oboh,  disclosed this in Port Harcourt yesterday during a one-day stakeholders forum organised by the Presidential Monitoring Committee on NDDC.

Our correspondent recalls that Oboh had on April 24, said that from the more than 5,000 projects awarded since the inception of NDDC, only few had been completed.

He said that the move to audit ongoing projects was aimed at identifying the work status of such projects and hence, prioritise their completion based on available resources.

According to him, host communities must help NDDC in monitoring ongoing projects in their area.

The managing director also urged them to report cases of delays and poor execution of projects.

“It may be difficult for us to be at every site every day or week, so we expect communities to call us and especially when contractors are not performing,” he said.

The NDDC boss said the move would fast track development and ensure quality service delivery in the Niger Delta region.

Oboh said that a call centre would be set up soon to create avenues for faster means of communication between NDDC and communities hosting projects.

On project duplication, Oboh said the commission would benefit from the inauguration of the advisory board, which included governors as its members.

He said, “the commission will now interface directly with the state governments on projects consideration.

“Once our budget is ready, we will not take it to the Presidency until the governors have seen what we have done.”