[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ross River State plays home to dozens of projects initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Sadly, about 80 per cent of them are abandoned, some of which the contractors have been fully paid up and issued certificate of completion by the commission. Expectedly, the state government is not happy with the development, as revealed in this interview with the Special Adviser to the Governor on NDDC, Victor Effiom Ekpo.
NDDC is an agency of the Federal government cutting across 9 states in Nigeria. How will you access its structure in the Niger Delta region?
Each of the Niger Delta states that made up NDDC has a representative. Some Governors do have Special Adviser to the Governor on NDDC Affairs. There are 9 state representatives and we work together as a team; that is how we operate. That is the structure that gets across the 9 states.
How are NDDC projects in Cross River State faring?
Our Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade is a Digital Governor. He created this office and we work closely with the NDDC office, Port Harcourt and the grassroots too. We have cordial relationship and close communication with the Liaison Officers, communities. For example, if there is a job to be done by NDDC in Cross River State, we will make sure we know the contractor, get the details of the project and we hand it over to the Community Liaison Officer, (CLO) to follow up to make sure the project is successful because we are the owner of the project.
What can you say about some abandoned NDDC projects in the state and how much is involved?
About 80 per cent of NDDC projects in Cross River State are abandoned. And in the last two years, the projects amount to 72, and the total amount appropriated for NDDC projects in the state for 2015 and 2016 is over N40 billion. The problem is that some contractors mobilised to site, while some did not at all. Another set of contractors even collected some money and later got certificate of completion, without even mobilising to site at all. This kind of situation, where the NDDC and contractors use Cross River State as a place to make money from without doing anything or giving commensurate service is very worrisome because these projects are supposed to better the lives of Cross Riverians, through NDDC as the intervention agency. So, let it be known that some contractors, who were awarded contracts in Cross River State do not even mobilise to site, but will find their way around NDDC, obtain their certificate of completion, get their full payment and walk away.
Some traditional rulers even came out to say that for the past one year, they have not seen contractors handling the jobs in their domain. Some communities went a step further by approaching the contractors, who claimed they abandoned the projects owing to paucity of funds. When I got the document on performance of the projects, I saw that some of the jobs were 60 to 70 per cent completed. That prompted me to visit the project sites, where I discovered that some of them had been abandoned for over one year. So, what we do is that we call the contractor handling the project to go back to site and complete the job.
Have you been able to prosecute any contactor who abandoned project given to him in Cross River State?
No, we do not have the legal power to prosecute any contractor rather we compel the contractor to go back to site because we send a letter to the NDDC Boss telling him not to pay contractor without our clearance from our office. We are on ground so we go there to see what the contractor has done and if what we see is up to 30%, we recommend payment accordingly. So that is how we operate.
NDDC acts as an intervention agency in the region concerned. Are there particular areas NDDC focus on in terms of development?
NDDC has the power to do anything be it infrastructural development, human capacity building, Health sector development, etc. Infact, any area at all that any community in the Niger Delta region needs attention, NDDC is always there to intervene so long as we get authentic information from the community concerned. For example, NDDC can build school or hospital, or sink borehole in areas they are needed after which they hand it over to the community. The community will then manage it and maintain it from time to time.
Does NDDC supervise the community projects after handing it over to the community?
Well, NDDC does not supervise rather it withholds contractor’s 10% as retention money and if after one year of monitoring the project it is found to be substandard; the contractor will be recalled and if he refuses to comply, then we re-award the contract and use the retention money as a lever to persuade the new contractor to correct any defects.
As the Special Adviser to the Governor on NDDC Affairs in Cross River State, can you say that NDDC has effected change in the state?
NDDC has done nothing in Cross Rivers State but we are hopeful that change will be effected in the state soon because when the NDDC boss, Mr Nsima Ekere came to Cross River state, he promised that NDDC will partner with the state government in the construction of 20km out of 267km Cross River State Superhighway. There are so many other projects coming into the state which will unfold with time.
What can you say about the NDDC Boss?
Mr Nsima Ekere is a distinguished personality, very sincere, transparent, hardworking and focused man. He is someone you can access anytime; attends to your problem almost immediately. Hopefully, I am convinced he will take NDDC to a greater height.
Tell us more about your political life.
Actually, I am a man who has been into politics. I worked with a Nigeria Ambassador to Egypt as a Political Adviser for about 2 years before I got a job to work with the wife of the Former President of Nigeria, Late Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua for a very short time. I have also worked with some other persons before taking up this assignment as the Special Adviser to the Governor on NDDC Affairs in Cross River State.
Can you tell us more about your “Digital Governor”?
Our Digital Governor, His Excellency, Sen (Prof) Ben Ayade is a man with deep vision; who loves innovations. He is among the few governors in Nigeria that pay salaries before time because as a former lecturer, he understands the plight of civil servants financially. He has transformed Cross River state into an industrial hub within a short while as we have Ayade Industrial Park in the state. His achievements are undeniable, insurmountable, and laudable. In Cross River State, we can boldly say that the civil servants are not hungry as salaries remain paid as and when due, the garment factory, which has provided employment for Cross Riverians has since commenced production, and the 21 megawatts power plant to boost electricity supply within Calabar is nearing completion. The plant which is located along Parliamentary Extension in Calabar Municipality, is expected to become operational soon. The state government in keeping with its resolve to provide potable water for the rural communities, His Excellency, Sen (Prof) Ayade purchased a Seko Hammer cum Rotary mounted drilling rig for RUWATSSA. The rig is capable of drilling to a depth of 450ft and has a mounted 15HP mud pump plus a Cummings engine compressor 1100CFM of 330psi.It is therefore compatible for both air and water drilling. The Motorized machine has the capacity to drill a borehole within 2-4hours. Also, the Cross River state government has keyed into the implementation and sustenance of the Federal Government’s Zero-oil Plan through diversification of the economy by establishing Automated rice seed and seedlings factory, Ultra Modern mill in Ogoja, the Banana plantation in Odukpani, and the Cocoa factory in Ikom. The Governor had also reached an agreement with a Chinese firm, for the provision of technical manpower for the cultivation of cotton. The Governor recently also disclosed plans by his government to establish a vegetable oil factory in Bekwarra Local Government Area which he unveiled during his inspection of vegetable oil factory in Beijing, China. These and so many others projects are lined up for Cross Riverians. My governor is “TALK NA DO”
You just mentioned Ayade Industrial Park, how does the government plan to achieve industrialisation aimed at increasing state’s revenue?
The governor and his deputy as you know are Professors. So they have what it takes to plan towards it. In most of these projects, the government goes into partnership with investors. We do either Build-operate and transfer or Build –operate and share depending on the Memorandum of understanding, MoU between the two parties and this has drastically reduced unemployment rate in the state. For instance, we have not less than 300 Cross Riverians working in the Garment factory currently and over 1000 Cross Riverians working all over the industries established by this government.
What is your advice to the electorates on getting their PVCs and 2019 elections?
People are encouraged to arm themselves with PVCs in Cross River state to make sure that the Digital Governor, His Excellency, Sen (Prof) Ben Ayade is returned come 2019 because of his giant strides and massive development he has brought to the state. Cross Riverians are already aware of these achievements and that is why when the governor held a program recently, he was endorsed by the elders, traditional rulers, party chieftains both from our party and opposition.
What is your legacy?
In my time also, about 5 to 10 NDDC abandoned projects have been completed as we compelled the contractors to go back to site. I will be very happy if NDDC constructs the 20km out of 267km superhighway in my regime. I want to be remembered for hardwork.