Senators supervising NDDC stop work on the road to Goodluck's home in Otuoke

SENATORS have halted work on the road leading to former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan's country home in Otuoke in Bayeslsa State because the contractors handling the project have taken too long to complete it.

 

Dissatisfied with the level of work on the 16km Otuoke Road project in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Projects, has ordered the contractor handling the project to stop work and vacate site with immediate effect. In addition, the committee also expressed displeasure with the slow pace of work at the Akenfa Canal Bridge in Yenagoa, the state capital.

 

According to the senate committee, which was on an inspection tour of various NDDC projects in Bayelsa State, the contractor handling the road project which connects Dr Jonathan’s country home in Otuoke, with Yenagoa, the state capital was too slow. Committee chairman Senator Peter Nwaobushi, who stated this in Yenagoa, said that after collecting the N600m (£2m) mobilisation fee for the project, the contractor reduced the length of the road to 6km.

 

Apparently, he did this without any agreement with NDDC, yet with no appreciable work on ground to match funds so far released by the commission. Senators,  however, admitted that the delay was caused by non-release of funds to the contractors.