By Egufe Yafugborhi & Chioma Onuegbu
THE Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been charged to immediately complete the shore protection and other projects abandoned within Eket/Onna/Esit-Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom state.
According to a statement made available to newsmen Wednesday in Uyo, the House of Representatives gave the charge following a motion moved by the Lawmaker representing the Federal Constituency, Okpolupm Etteh, during Tuesday plenary.
Etteh in the statement which was signed by his media consultant, Mr. Darlington Udobong, had in his motion noted that the NDDC contractor had abandoned the shore protection after allegedly collecting 50 per cent mobilisation.
He explained that the scope of the shore protection contract was to cover the shorelines spanning Upenekang, Iwuoachang, Okorutip, Odoro-Ikot, Iwuo-Okpom, Mkpanak and Itak Abasi communities in Ibeno Local Government Area.
The statement reads in part: “With many of the villages in Ibeno locality lying at the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, to protect them against constant threat of ocean surge, it is recommended that setbacks like dykes and other control measures be established around the communities most prone, which is what the shore protection project was to achieve.
“Contract for Shore Protection works in Ibeno Local Government Area was awarded 2006 to Smith Engineering Company Limited at N3,287,787,000.00 for which N1,643,893,500.00, half of the contract sum, had been paid before the company mobilised to the site.
“After receiving 50 percent of the contract sum, the contractor has only achieved 8per cent completion and abandoned the project, having mobilized only a few materials to site at Upenekang. No one knows whereabouts of the contractor at this moment”
The House the statement noted resolved that the NDDC should assess the level of work by Smith Engineering Company Limited from 2006 to date, and to carry out the same assessment in all other abandoned projects across the Federal Constituency.
“The House also urged the Commission to either compel the company to immediately return to the site or take all necessary action to recover the mobilisation paid to the contractor and the contract be re-awarded to another competent contractor.
“It further mandated the House Committee on NDDC to demand a comprehensive list of abandoned projects across the Federal Constituency and ensure thorough investigation as to why most of the projects are abandoned and ensure their completion and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions.”
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