We will start paying contractors soon -New NDDC MD

Posted by admin Niger Delta Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Projects hitherto suspended by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), many of which had, in the past few months, incurred bitter protests from the youth of the oil-rich region, will be re-started soon.

The new Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Chris Oboh, who disclosed to journalists on his first day in office at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, said the orders from the presidency was to hit the ground running.

According to him, contractors who had jobs with the commission would be invited for a meeting soon to discuss how to speed up work, noting that though quality of job delivery would be a key factor in working for the commission henceforth.

“The situation here is not as bad as we think. The president has given us a marching order and on behalf of my chairman, we will respond accordingly. You would have heard during the handing over process that the school fees of our students that are overseas studying have not been paid. I have just given approval that their fees must be paid next week.

“We are here to execute projects, not for partying. So, all contractors who are due for payment would be paid. In a matter of days, we are going to call them to a meeting. They should be prepared to return to site to work. We will pay those who will do good work, just as we will not pay those whose work are not good, because we need sustainability. If the government is paying money, then we want full value.

He appealed to members of the management of the commission to be ready to work with those of them, just coming on board, adding that the new era would be focused on achieving the purpose for which the commission was establishd.

Handing the commission’s documents over to the new chief helmsman, the immediate past acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Osato Areyenka, highlighted major challenges that had faced the commission, urging the successor to give them total attention.

-Tribunewp_posts