By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The Ayama community of Gbarain clan, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has joined the league of communities that have benefited from the solar-powered street lights project of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Against this backdrop, the community recently rolled out the drums to celebrate the successful completion of the project, while also thanking the Managing-Director/CEO of the commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku and the management of the interventionist agency for including them among other communities that have benefitted from the ongoing projects being executed by the commission across the Niger Delta region.
Port Harcourt Mundial learnt this on Sunday while speaking with the Ayama community leadership during a tour of select communities across Bayelsa State which have been impacted by the NDDC’s ‘Operation Light Up Niger Delta’.
Speaking with newsmen, the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Kawari Apina-Owei, his deputy, HRH Jeremiah Selesai, and chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Geseye Apina-Owei commended the NDDC management for not only awarding the project for the community, but for also having awarded it to a contracting firm, Doncont Nig.Ltd whom according to them delivered the project timely and within specifications.
Ayama is one of the communities in the Gbarain Clan oil and gas hub of the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
“Some relief came our way when the NDDC awarded the solar-powered street lights to this community. This is the first time we’re feeling the impact of the leadership and management of the NDDC since inception.
“We thank the Managing-Director/CEO of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku and the entire management of the commission for remembering our community, Ayama, in the award of this solar light project. Before now, we’ve been in total darkness, and so snakes and other dangerous reptiles were roaming at night.
“We couldn’t move at night before the execution of this solar light project once it’s night in this community. But now from here, we can move at anytime of the night to our neighbouring Ogboloma and Okotiama communities
“This is the first NDDC project this community is benefitting. As we speak, we don’t have water, no health facility, no good school. We also need internal roads in this community. We call on the NDDC management led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku, the hardworking MD/CEO of the NDDC to reconsider this community on these other infrastructure we don’t have”, the community said.
The trio, who also expressed their appreciation to the vicar, St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Ayama, Rev. Paul Edidi, described him as God-sent, noting that the clergy facilitated the award of the project by the NDDC to the community when they least expected.
“We also want to thank God for the life of Rev. Paul Edidi who facilitated the award of this project by the NDDC to our community. Rev. Edidi is God-sent to our community.
“We thank the contractor, High Chief Osigwe Bayefa of Doncont Nig. Ltd for the timely execution of this project according to specifications. We’ll continue to pray that whenever the NDDC wants to award other projects, it should consider Doncont Nig. Ltd and High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, the contractor for this solar project for doing a great job”, the community added.
Similarly, in separate interviews, the chairman, Gbarain/Ekpetiama Rural Development Authority (RDA), Hon. Tolumona Engedefa, the community’s Woman leader, Mrs Kuro Apina-owei and the community’s Youth President, Comrade Mieyeseigha Selesai reiterated the resolve of the community towards continuous cooperation with contractors of the NDDC and others in the future for timely execution of projects in the community.
They emphasized that the seamless execution of the solar-powered project by the contractor was a direct result of the community’s cooperation and readiness to partner for development.
On their part, Rev. Paul Edidi, whom the community described as facilitator for the award of the project, and Prof. Benjamin Teibowei, senior lecturer, Bayelsa State Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa, have described the NDDC management headed by Dr Samuel Ogbuku as a committed institution with willingness to fast track the developmental processes of the Niger Delta region.
The duo noted that the award of the project by the NDDC for the community, which they alleged do not have any known political or economic heavy weight to lobby a project of that magnitude, has again demonstrated that the commission under the stewardship of Ogbuku is in for a paradigm shift.
In the same vein, the Operations manager of the contracting firm, Doncont Nig. Ltd, Mr Pereowei Bayefa, who spoke on behalf of High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, chairman, Board of Trustees, said the firm was noted for executing projects within specifications and timelines, while thanking the NDDC and the community for the confidence reposed in them.
