By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has assured the people of Okrika in Rivers State that the Okrika-Borokiri bridge project, which has been abandoned for upwards of 12 years, would soon completed by the commission.
The NDDC gave the assurance on Tuesday through the Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA), Boma Iyayi at a Stakeholders Interactive Forum on “Borokiri Okrika Bridge project.
Iyayi said that the project has been earmarked by the NDDC, together with the Kar-Ataba as legacy projects that must be delivered in Rivers State.
He explained that the project commenced in 2012 but was stalled for several reasons including that in the past four years the NDDC had not had a budget approval and being projects provided for by the budget, nothing could be done on them without an approved budget by the National Assembly.
He however added that the current Board had included the projects in the current budget of the commission that had been approved for implementation by the National Assembly adding that the work had recommenced on the Kar-Ataba bridge with the contractor assuring that it would be delivered within 6 to 10 months.
The EDFA, NDDC explained that the essence of the interactive session was to give the people the opportunity to own the project and thereby cooperate with the contractor to ensure its timely delivery.
He said; “We cannot restart the project without involving the stakeholders. So this interactive forum is for us to discuss in order to eliminate all issues that will delay the delivery of the project.
“We are assuring you that there is enough funds in the budget to commence and complete the project. The Kar-Ataba project has started with the contractor assuring that in the next 6 to 10 months cars would be driving from Kar-Ataba”.
He pleaded with the people of the area to avoid playing politics with such developmental project that has huge economic and social benefits to the people calling on everyone to lend their support for the timely completion of the project.
In his goodwill message the Ananyanabo of Kerike Kingdom in Rivers State, King Air Commodore (rtd) Tansiki Ogube, also urged the people to forget their political differences and support any good thing coming to Okrika.
He assured the NDDC that his people would not disrupt any good thing coming to them. He described the project as one the good projects they were receiving since the creation of Okrika Local Government Area.
He however, urged the commission to give the contract for the bridge to a good contractor. “Give us a good contractor. My candid advice to the NDDC is to give us a good contractor for that project”.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the project and assured him of the support of the people saying; “any person that wants to bring trouble, we will visit the person with trouble”.
Also speaking, King Acheseinimie Micah-Frank, Chairman of Bolo Council of Chiefs advised the youths to take the project as theirs. He said; “Let us keep politics where it’s supposed to be and development where it’s supposed to be”.
