The new managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Christian Oboh, has given the commission’s contractors handling projects with 70% completion up to March 2012 to finish the projects and deliver them or face sanction.
The same warning goes to those contractors handling the commission prototype hotel projects for selected universities across the Niger Delta region.
The M.D, gave the ultimatum at presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt, while discussing with the two groups of contractors to immediately forward to his office completion for assessment.
According to him, any contractor, who finishes his or her project on schedule, would certainly be paid and therefore urged them to work harder on time, saying, “those who work, we shall pay. I therefore want you to deliver between now and March 2012. I’m ready to pay you, if only you will deliver,” the M.D noted.
Continuing, Dr. Oboh noted that while the commission was ready to fully meet its financial commitment to the contractors, they (contractors) must be willing, as a matter of fact, to sign undertaking to deliver on schedule, saying, “If you fail to deliver, the law will come after you.”
The commission’s MD, gave an assurance that the board was ready to encourage hard working contractors with more jobs as he warned that the era of disappearing after payment was over in the commission.
He, however frowned at the representations made by some of the contractors handling the hostel projects; wondering why some of them always send their engineers, instead of showing physical presence.
“Honestly, I’m not satisfied with your level of representation. Some of you sent your staff to represent you. This does not show any iota of seriousness”.
On project variation, Dr. Oboh said, “we cannot have a blanket review of the projects, because the challenges are different”. ###
Jeff Oguike
