Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The oil rich Asa Community in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State has dragged the Niger Delta Development Commission to the Oyigbo High Court, River State over alleged abandonment of several projects in the area.
In suit no. OYHC/136/2017 the community under the auspices of Asa Development Union prayed the Court to compel NDDC to mobilise the contractors handling the abandoned projects in Asa community particularly the Asa Civic centre/Multipurpose hall, Ugwati/Obokwe /Uratta / Aba road, 132/33 KV substation at Ikpokwu, Obokwe district hospital and Ukwa west stadium.
The President ADU Dr. Onwubiko Dike who disclosed this while taking Journalists round the abandoned projects lamented that all NDDC projects in the area were characterised by non execution, abandonment, poor execution and award of non-existent roads and bridges and non functionality of few executed projects.
He stated that NDDC has deliberately denied Asa people from benefiting from the NDDC human capacity development programme as shown in the 2016 NDDC post-graduate foreign scholarship award.
He pointed out that the commission has not complied with the intra- state revenue sharing formula in the implementation of NDDC approved for Abia State budget.
He added that the NDDC has also excluded Asa indigenes in the top management positions, adding that all the directors of Abia State origin come from non-oil producing parts of parts of the State.
Dike urged that a joint project/ programme committee of NDDC and Asa Development union should be instituted that will assist in the conceptualisation, designs, implementation monitoring and supervision of projects and programme.
He said, “NDDC should establish skill acquisition centres in strategic locations in Asa land to empower jobless youths and avert a looming restiveness in our area.
“Motorised wheel chairs and other facilities should be provided for the physically challenged to enable them access this skill in various centres.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com
source: http://ift.tt/2gd7ykW
http://ift.tt/eA8V8J