The House of Representatives has ordered the completion of the Amassoma community Shoreline in Southern Ijaw part of Bayelsa state.
Adopting a motion sponsored by Mr Ambaiowei Rodney Ebikebina, the House urged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to re-mobilize the Contractor to site and engage competent Consultants to supervise the Project and ensure that the Project is executed diligently to completion before September 2024.
The lawmakers mandated the NDDC to assess the Amassoma community Shoreline Project to ascertain the extent of work done by the numerous contractors since the Project was first awarded till date.
The House also mandated the Committee on NDDC to probe into the reason behind the abandoned of a critical intervention project in the area with a view to holding previous companies accountable for public funds waste.
Ebikebina who drew the attention of the House to the devastating effects of floods in his constituency claimed that several contracts for the construction of Shoreline Protection in Amassoma have been awarded in the past with no useful results.
He claimed that the first was awarded to Dokkin Ventures Nigeria Limited by the now obsolete Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) and was abandoned. It was again awarded to Bussdor & Company Limited by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2003, only to be abandoned again in 2005 with disputable percentage of completion as physical assessment shows no significant job done.
He further claimed that the contract was later transferred to Messer Ideki Services Ltd without clear details of the transfer and the valuation of the Project with no significant work done till date.
He added: “Worried that the rains have been coming thick and fast while the Federal Metrological Services has predicted that the 2023 flood levels will surpass those of 2022.
“The people of Amassoma and other areas within Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency are at risk of facing another devastating flood and displacement from their homes.
“It is only an immediate action that will assuage and give comfort to the Southern Ijaw constituents to avert the traumatic experiences of the past;Cognizant of the need to protect lives and livelihoods in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency and riverine communities and complete the Amassoma Community Shoreline Protection Project.”
