Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike says the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is acting like a state on its own, refusing to interface with governors of oil-producing states to strategically develop the Niger Delta.
He said this in a statement issued by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, on Thursday, after members of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, led by its Chairman, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, visited him at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said despite the inauguration of the commission’s advisory council, it was still sidelining oil-producing states from its affairs.
“We agreed to build a regional hospital called Mother and Child Hospital for N1.7 billion. We were to bring N800 million while NDDC would bring N900 million. The state paid its N800 million and NDDC mobilised the contractor with N400 million of the amount. But it abandoned the contractor and the contractor left site,” Wike said.
“When we came on board, we said no more partnership and asked for a N400 million refund, but that became a problem as politics set in.”
He said the state has gotten a court order to ensure NDDC does not embark on indiscriminate execution of projects without its consent.
Tunji- Ojo said the visit was predicated on the fact that Wike was a principal stakeholder in the affairs of NDDC, and assured that the committee would ensure the agency works in synergy with critical stakeholders of the region.”
