The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has concluded arrangements to terminate about six abandoned projects spread across the region with a view to enhancing the development of the region.
It would be recalled that the Minister, Pastor Uguru Usani, had made this known while receiving the report on the audit and review of the East-West road and other projects of its Ministry in Abuja.
Usani said that following the report from the Ministerial Technical Audit Committee on the contracts awarded from 2009 – 2015 in the Niger Delta, that some projects have been proposed for termination.
He listed the projects to include construction of OkpuhutaMbano Junction–Orie market–Lomara- Igwebulka (35km) – Abia State; Land reclamation and Erosion control project at OguduAbia Phase I, Abia State. Others are Idoro-Eastern Itam Water Supply Scheme Akwa Ibom; Construction of Mbak Atai-Ikot Ntu-MkpetiOkuiboku road project (13.86km) Akwa Ibom State; Ukparam Water Supply Scheme and Construction and Supervision of Omelema – Agada II Road, Rivers State.
The minister said the above listed projects were proposed for termination as a result of lack of capacity to complete the work as witnessed on site.
He said, “gross lack of capacity problem, lack of seriousness on the project, lack of technical capacity to prosecute project and gross lack of competence by the contractors.”
Usani said the committee juxtaposed its findings from project sites against facts retrieved from available documents domiciled in the departments that supervised the projects.
According to him, there were violation of contract award process; Right from the cycle of procurement planning to contract award, the committee noticed inconsistencies with the provisions of vital aspects of the Procurement Act.
“Prominent among other issues of violation were indiscriminate award of contract by initiating and benefiting departments without the leading and guiding role of the procurement department.
“Awards never took cognizance of availability of funds and annual appropriation provisions,” he said.
The minister said the structure and content of some contract agreements lack checks and balances, saying that they hardly protect the interest of the ministry in case of disputes.
He explained that the imminent picture of abandoned and uncompleted projects was as disturbing as the retinue of projects that extremely exceeded the dates of completion.
“This manifestly, emanated from inconsistency in government annual budgetary provision and lack of capacity to deliver especially where funds released do not correspond with performance.
“Most contracts were awarded with specific dates of completion but were not captured in subsequent appropriations.
According to the minister, this further exacerbated contractors’ poor performance and inability to achieve project objectives.
“Consequently, no capital project was completed within the stipulated time frame,” he said.
An Estate Manager, from Abia State, Mr Chijoke Micheal, told newsmen that the policy of terminating contracts not executed by contractors would speed up development in the Niger Delta region.
“Those contractors who think they can eat their cake and have it should better sit up because the present administration is determined to develop the region and curb corruption.
“We have been advocating for this change for a long time and I have been very vocal in calling on government to come down to our level and assist the region in development.
Micheal said: “It is important for contractors to realize that it can no longer be business as usual.
“It is important for everyone doing business with the ministry to realize that things must be done properly,” he said.
An architect from Cross River, Mrs Emen Odok, described the policy as a waste of money, saying that government want to politicize it, by putting such policy in place.
“What is wrong with the government calling the contractors to order? The excuse by the ministry doesn’t hold water at all.
“Rather than terminate a project that is 45per cent completed, why not terminate the contract and re-award the contract to another company that is most capable of completing it.
“The ministry has practically abandoned the Calabar skills acquisition centre, these beautiful structures are wasting away and being destroyed by erosion.
“What measures has the government put in place to address such wastage,” she said.
A retired civil servant, Mr Okon Udoh, said the ministry has so many abandoned projects spread across the region, saying that the Federal Government should address the issue, if truly government wants to develop the region.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has signed separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), with two key development partners to drive sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
The two MoUs were signed, last Monday, at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, between the commission and Market Development Project in Niger Delta (MADE), as well as Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform in Nigeria (FOSTER).
Speaking at the ceremony, the NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, stated that the MOUs reflected the new management’s plan and vision to drive sustainable development in the region.
He said that the choice of the partners was deliberate as it showed the determination and readiness of the commission for openness in its operations.
Ekere said: “It could not have been otherwise since transparency and accountability are the fundamental parameters of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
The NDDC managing director said that the NDDC Governing Board and Management at its last meeting ratified the collaboration with technical partners.
He restated the determination of the NDDC, “to restore the core mandate of the commission, restructure the balance sheet, and reaffirm the commitment to doing what is right and proper, at all times, for the benefit of the people of this great region.
“We hope to send a strong and clear message to the people of the Niger Delta, as well as all Nigerians and international community, that the new Governing Board and Management of the NDDC is committed to ensuring that we establish in the commission and the Niger Delta region, enduring instruments and institutions vital to fulfilling both our mandate and the expectations of the people,” Ekere added.
The NDDC boss said that the commission recognised the need to actively seek and engage key stakeholders and partners in collaborating with and thereby act as the integrator for all plans to develop the Niger Delta.
He added that, “Under the terms of the MoU, MADE will work with NDDC to boost efforts at stimulating sustainable, pro-poor growth in selected agricultural and other input markets. We will also work to improve the position of economically active but disadvantaged men and women in these markets, by making them more inclusive.
“This MoU will also enable grant funding for sustainable development initiatives, as well as stimulate growth in non-oil products through enhanced oil palm production, development of poultry farming, training in the production of finished leather goods, training in aquatic farming and media and ICT-supported agriculture extension service of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).”
He declared that the need to diversify the nation’s economy had never been more imperative, adding: “Economic diversification is vital to Niger Delta region’s long-term economic growth and we must align ourselves with initiatives that seek to advance this very vital cause.
“For this reason, agriculture and other factor markets must be given much-needed attention, in order to exploit opportunities that can create a vast number of jobs and boost employment profile of the Niger Delta region,” Ekere stressed.
Giving details of the collaboration with FOSTER, Ekere noted that it would improve reporting as the partner would support the production of the commission’s Quarterly Report, ensuring salient informant was captured and presented in a readable and understandable manner.
“The partnership would support improvements to prioritisation of projects and budgeting. Strengthen transparency, disciplined spending, and generally, engender overhaul of the commission’s internal systems, processes and procedures, with particular emphasis on budgeting, contract administration and program implementation.”
The leader of the FOSTER project, Mr Henry Adigun, said the delegation’s main objective was to provide technical support and strengthen NDDC’s management systems for the delivery of quality services for development.
He said that FOSTER would support the NDDC’s reporting system, help to boost budget implementation, as well as assist in project monitoring and evaluation.
In his presentation, the leader of the MADE delegation, Mr Tunde Oderinde, said the organisation would work with the UK-funded Department For International Development (DFID), which is a private sector initiative, to support the commission’s desire for maximum impact in the region.
He said that the major area of interaction was in agriculture where about 10,000 people were expected to be impacted, and added that MADE was building an enduring framework to support the projects to make them sustainable.
Oderinde said that the various projects would increase the incomes of at least 150,000 poor men and women in the Niger Delta.
“MADE adopts a market development approach to support growth in the region’s non-oil economy by stimulating sustainable, pro-poor growth in selected agricultural, input markets and improving the position of economically active poor and women in these markets by making them more inclusive,” he added.