Oscarline Onwuemenyi
24 March 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has asked contractors handling various projects in the Niger Delta region to return to site within 30 days or face prosecution.
Also included were contractors handling projects for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Osinbajo specifically directed that the list of all contractors who did not comply with the directive within the stipulated period be compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and prosecution.
The 30-day ultimatum, which was given at a recent inter-ministerial working group followed the renewed Niger Delta interactive engagements of the current administration.
It will be recalled that there have been series of consultative meetings between the Federal Government and stakeholders in the Niger Delta region initiated by the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF.
The membership of the Niger Delta inter-ministerial group comprises officials from the Presidency, all relevant ministries including the Petroleum Resources, Niger Delta Affairs, Environment, Power, Works and Housing and Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme among other MDAs.
A statement from the Office of the Vice President, yesterday, stated that “A concerted implementation work plan that would respond to the developmental issues and projects proposed by PANDEF is also being prepared, while fresh mandates are also being issued to all relevant MDAs as appropriate.”
According to the statement, other decisions reached at the meeting include “The FG’s directive to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NDDC, the Ministries of Niger Delta Affairs, Environment, Power, Works and Housing to proceed with the design and implementation of work plans in line with the administration’s new vision for the region.
“Ministries and agencies of government involved in furthering the establishment of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, have also been directed to come up with a clear path to the eventual actualisation of the objective including consideration for a possible and timely take-off grant for the university.”
