By Aderemi Bamgbose
The Niger Delta Youth Parliament (NDYP) have appealed to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to prevail on contractors handling various projects in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State to return to site.
Mr Femi Omojuwa, member representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency at the NDYP who made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Okitipupa, said that returning to site was to complete all abandoned projects.
Omojuwa lamented that all NDDC major projects in the federal constituency in Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas since 2009 were uncompleted and abandoned.
He mentioned the projects like; Ayetoro Shoreline Protection project, the 19 km first phase of Ugbo-Oghoye road, and Agadagba- Obon -Arogbo Bridge.
Omojuwa also said the stepping down of 132KVA power station at Omotoso Power Plant that supposed to supply electricity to the six LGA’s of Ondo South, Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo was abandoned since 2011.
“Our findings revealed that the feasibility studies that were supposed to be carried out in this peculiar terrain before the design of any project were not properly done by the consultants engaged by NDDC.
“The Ayetoro shoreline project was not completed because of non-availability of sand, the project required 500 cubit metric tons of sharp sand, Geotube and Reno mattress to execute the project.
“Even when every other materials are on site since 2009, all efforts carried out to some radial miles away to get sand proved abortive because the entire region is filled with alluvial deposit, different from other Niger Delta regions that have enough sharp sand deposit.
“If we maintain the habit of blaming contractors for jobs not done in the region without mentioning the technical issues that led to the failure of the projects may mislead NDDC to re-award the projects and the same mistake will be repeated.
“Half of Ayetoro Community is already under the Atlantic Ocean, the people are living in fear and many of their properties worth millions of naira have been lost.
“Their fishing activities have been destroyed, causing a lot of economic hardship for them.
“It should be noted that, if this ocean surge is not quickly checked, all other communities like Idiogba, Erunna, Ugbonla, Ugbo, Mahin and Oriopo will be entirely wiped out within a space of time,” he said.
Omojuwa urged the NDDC to tackle the issue of ocean surge as a matter of urgency before the entire riverine communities are swallowed up by the Atlantic Ocean.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the NDYP founded in 2015 was a non-militia advocacy group dedicated to advancing the cause of human rights, accountability and development in the Niger Delta region. (NAN)