Okorocha, NDDC Counter Allegations

NDDC: We Have Completed 242 Roads In Imo.

Okorocha: Commission’ Projects Exists Only On Paper, PDP Turned Agency To Atm.

BY GRACE IGWEANYI

OKOROCHA

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha last Friday met at Government House, Owerri where the governor said before now, the commission fraudulently shortchanged Imo State and her people, stressing that he was shocked to learn that billions of naria had been spent on non –existent 272 projects in Imo State.

 In a statement in Owerri, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemedo, said the governor made his feelings known on Friday, Febuaray 26^{th, 2016} when he received in his office, the acting NDDC Managing Director, Ibim Sememitari, who is on a two day working visit to Imo State.

 Onwuemedo said the Governor was unhappy that the Commission which was established in 2000 during President Olusegun Obasanjo administration to serve oil producing states was converted into an ATM machine for some PDP lawmakers and bigwigs from the State.

The statement quoted the Governor as telling the visiting MD “I am shocked to hear that the NDDC has over 272 projects in the State for which billions of naria were also said to have been spent on.

“I would like to have a list of the projects, the contractors handling them and where they are sited because Imo people would also be shocked to hear this.

“Lets us know the projects, their sites and the amounts paid on each of them” the statement stated.

 He continued “ The truth is that these projects exist only on papers because the popular impression here is that the NDDC abandoned the State and her people, while releasing money meant for projects in the State to some PDP elements from the State in Abuja who shared money with the contractors.  

In her reaction, NDDC Acting Managing Director, Ibim Seminatari claimed that the agency had completed 242 roads, electrification and hostel projects in the State.

The projects, according to her, were delivered in the last 16 years the commission was constituted.

The NDDC boss said one of the priorities of the commission is to address the challenges confronting the region by repositioning from physical infrastructure needs to human capacity development.

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