Logo
* Calls for calm
By Jon Egie
In its avowed efforts to sustain development of the Niger Delta region, the NIger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has give assurance of paying all it’s verified contractors and outstanding claims any time soon.
This was disclosed by a dependable source close to the interim administration of the Commission .
The source who pleaded anonymity for now, said the management of NDDC was saddened that contractors who had done their jobs were still being owed many years after completion lamenting that the ugly situation led to the closure of NDDC headquarters by aggrieved contractors and hence, called for patience while concerted effort s are out in place to resolve the issue.
“The Interim Administrator is not happy that contractors who had completed their jobs were yet to be paid. There is no reason to owe these contractors except the fact that enough funds have not been released to NDDC to take care of the debt.”
It was learnt that the Federal Government owed the Commission over N1.9 trillion, while the oil companies owed in excess of $4billion (about N2.2 trillion).
“This huge indebtedness to NDDC is far in excess of what the Commission owes its contractors and this has exposed us to this kind of situation,” the source added
disclosing further that the bulk of the indebtedness was inherited from past administrations of the Commission.
“The Interim Administrator has been very prudent and circumspect about adding to the Commission’s liability with new contracts. But he is determined to clear the debts because he believes that those who have worked for the Commission deserve due reward.”
The source informed that President Muhammadu Buhari has set up a reconciliation committee headed by the Minister of Finance to determine how much is owed to NDDC and reconcile the accounts.
The source also stated that President Buhari and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, were concerned about the situation and have put in place machinery to ensure that all monies owed NDDC were paid.
“This will be resolved soon so that contractors can receive payment in this Christmas season.” The source reassured and therefore called for calm and patience from all aggrieved contractors and service providers,”
Meanwhile, the Media Director to Sole Administrator of the Commission, Mr Effiong Akwa, Mr Chijioke Amu Nnadi, confirmed that the commission is putting everything in place for a better customer service to the people of the region, including the payment of contractors, who are mainly from the Niger Delta Region of the Country.
According to him, “We are certainly positioning the commission for effective delivery of service to the people of the region, including the contractors who are from the area.”
About Author
