Delta communities Cry Out Over Alleged Abandonment of NDDC Project
ASABA/Nigeria: Oghara and Koko residents has cried out that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contractor, handling the electrification contract to switch section of Koko, Warri North Local Government and Western Delta University and Delta State University Teaching Hospital, both in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government to Oghara 132/33 sub-station has allegedly abandoned the project.
They claimed that sometime last year, NDDC awarded the contract amounting to billions of naira to a contracting firm, Income Electrix, alleging further that the firm embarked on shabby works, especially on the teaching hospital line and disappeared from site for unknown reasons.
The two communities of Koko and Oghara, called on the Board Chairman of NDDC and the Federal Government to call the contractor back to site, warning that if urgent action was not taken, the project would be abandoned and leave the areas in total darkness.
Stanley Koyide Futughe from koko and Ese Omobo from Oghara said with the way they viewed things, the project would not see the light of day. Mr. Futughe stated that the contractor only laid electric poles up to Western Delta University in Oghara, before they disappeared from project site, and called on all relevant authorities to wade into the situation with the view of bringing the contractor back to site.
The project supervisor, Engr. Steve who was contacted declined comments on the ground that he was not authorized to speak on the rationale over the disappearance of the contracting firm, Income Electrix from project site.
The Head of Projects, Income Electrix Ltd, Philip Gofyer, who was later reached denied abandonment of the said project, explaining that his company had completed that of Western Delta University and Delta State University Teaching Hospital respectively.
Gofyer stressed that within the next couple of weeks, they would mobilize back to site to complete that of Koko line which he affirmed had reached an advanced stage
He also noted that his company was waiting for National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC to commission that of Western Delta University and solicited for patience from the beneficiaries.
When we went on sightseeing of the said projects, it was observed that of Western Delta University and Delta State University Teaching Hospital had been completed, but the contracting firm, Income Electrix was nowhere to be found to speak on the allegation of shoddy job raised by the community.
It would be recalled that Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Federal Government interventionist agency, sometime last year awarded the contract for the extension of 33 KVA line from Oghara 132/33 sub-station, situated in James Thomas quarters, Edjemuoyavwe, Oghara to Western Delta University, Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara and to Koko in Warri North Local Government to Income Electrics, the same contractor that constructed the Oghara 132/33 sub-station.
