By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has revealed how difficult it had been for it to either cancel some old abandoned projects or complete them, in the region.
The Commission rather said she targets critical projects known as legacy projects and complete them through partnership, to transform the lives of the people of the region.
For instance, the old abandoned Okirika-Borokiri Road and Bridge project in Rivers State now embarked upon by the Commission in partnership with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), said Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director and chief executive officer (MD/CEO) of NDDC.
He also listed other abandoned projects in some communities which the Commission had completed and assured that under President Bola Tinubu, there is renewed hope for the people of the region in terms of rural development and other interventions.
Ogbuku made the revelations while responding to questions during the world press briefing held in Asaba to mark the Commission’s 25th anniversary, Ogbuku.
The public wants to know how many among the litany of abandoned projects have been cancelled or completed by the Commission, even as Ogbuku highlighted the triumph and challenges of the commission.
Ogbuku said, “When you talk about cancellation of projects, you will not just wake up and cancel projects. There are issues of litigations. There are so many issues of variations all over the place and some of these contracts that have been abandoned have payment obligations that we need to also pay them (the contractors).
“On the other hand, the Procurement Act says once the variation for a project is more than 15%, it is due for cancellation and be reawarded.
“You don’t just have to wake up and say you are completing all abandoned projects, coupled with the fact that there is only four months of dry season in the region which makes it difficult for contractors to deliver their jobs at an agreed time. So, we need to look at the complications.
“For us, we are targeting those legacy projects and we would put our funds together to complete them and that would serve the people of the region. That is why the directive to complete old abandoned projects was given to us by the President.”
On the issue of conservation of Niger Delta mangrooves, he said, “We actually initiated the process of the afforestation of the mangroove vegetation in the Niger Delta.
“We tried to intervene and we looked at the challenges of global warming and climate change. We also examined the limitations that we don’t have the power to stop gas flairing which is affecting the conservation of the mangroove.
“We are talking about agriculture and some of our vegetation today have been eroded. This is not a one way traffic but something we and other agencies of government have to come together.”, he said.