Mkpoikana Udoma 14 January 2015, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Community Development Committee in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, has called on the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, to re-award the Shore Protection projects and other NDDC projects in the community to more competent contractors capable of delivering the projects.
Kula is host to four oil flow stations belonging to Chevron and Shell.
Chairman of the committee, Mr. Christopher Fiberesima, told SweetCrudeReports in Port Harcourt that since the award by the NDDC of a shore protection contract and that for an 11-kilometre internal road to some local contractors (Baywick Engineering Ltd and OKI and Sons Ltd) in 2009 and 2011 respectively, the contractors were yet to mobilise to site till date.
“NDDC embarked on two different projects in Kula Community, which are a shore-protection project awarded to Baywick Engineering Company, and road construction awarded to OKI and Sons Ltd; but it is unfortunate that since these jobs were awarded, there is nothing to show that jobs of this nature has been awarded.
“OKI and Sons Ltd told us that when the dry season comes they will mobilise to site, and now is dry season, as I am talking to you now, they are yet to mobilise to site while Baywick tried to report to site but came to us (community) complaining that they could not find sand within the area for the sand-filing of the shore.
“Baywick is even telling us to write to NDDC to make an additional fund for them so they could get an ocean dredger in order to get sand, since Kula is an oceanic community. How is it supposed to be the community’s business that you can’t find sand to do a job awarded to you?” Fiberesima said.
Efforts by SweetCrudeReports to reach the NDDC management, through its Head of Communication, Mr. Ibitoye Abosede, was futile as the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt was closed for the holidays at the point of filing this report.
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