NDDC begins verification of past contracts

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced the verification of over 10, 000 contracts awarded since its inception.The Chairman of the board, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who disclosed this yesterday in Calabar, said the contracts were awarded without following the due process.

He said the verification became necessary so that the Niger Delta area could be properly developed.He added that the new board has raised a management committee to determine the viability of the contracts in order to fast-track development in the area.

Ndoma-Egba said: “Until the committee submits its report, we won’t be able to know which contract is viable or not, but we suspect that a number of projects were awarded without passing through the due process. We urge the people to wait for the conclusion of the verification.”

He explained that he received information that the commission’s contracts were traded on the streets the same way that shares and stocks are traded in the stock market.

This, he said, was because many people see the NDDC as a place of buying and selling.He stressed that some people have also been reported to have as many as 17 contracts awarded by the commission under different company names.

The former senate leader stressed that a particular contract for the protection of shoreline was awarded to someone in a community that had no shore to protect.

According to him, “We need to strengthen our systems and processes to avoid allowing multiple contracts. We have engaged experts to assist in overhauling our systems, processes and even our personnel and projects.

“My board is on ground to complete the tenure of Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw. We are going to function for a little above two years, which is long enough to make us move in the right direction.”

Ndoma-Egba explained that developing the Niger Delta region is the solution to the protracted crises, adding that the new master plan would indicate the way forward.