TRACKING_____A Niger Delta based sociocultural group under the aegis of Ajakuramavoice A.K.A golden pen, congratulated the new managing Director of the NDDC interim management board prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei over his well deserved appointment, calls on him and other relevant stakeholders in the board to urgently commence the expected forensic audit of Udo/Ofonama Egbema road projects,
The president of Ajakurama voice Comr. Mingo F. Saya on his press briefing today thursday 20th Feb 2020, at Benin city , after the media team visites of Udo Ofunama Egbema abandoned roads project, signed a press statement, applaud President Muhammad Buhari for adhere the Cry’s of Ijaw Nation, by expanding NDDC board,
The apex social cultural group that advocates for the development of Ijaw kingdom’s in Edo and Delta states had particularly calls on the newly appointed interim boards members of NDDC to commences of the Ofunama Egbema roads project, urges the chairman not to be politicised it, as the people are suffering untold hardship owing to the seeming abandonment of the road project,
He reiterated that the contractor who abandoned Egbema roads should be ordered to return to the site immediately, let the commission takes the advantage of this dry season to commence the work,
The Comrade Highlighting the importance of the road project, had explained that the Udo/Ofunama road is the only road that will link all the nine (9) autonomous communities in Egbema kingdom, includes Ajakurama, Ofunama, Gbeoba, Abere, Jamagie, II , Ogbinbiri, Ogbudugbudu, Opuama, Abadigbene communities, amd the five Ijaws kingdoms in Edo state, they are okomu kingdom, furupia kingdom, Gbarun kingdom, and olodiama kingdom, in both Edo and Delta states when completed.
According to him, the 46.5km road was awarded to Japaul & Mines Products Limited in 2011 by the administration of former president Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, frowning that the firm handling the project be mobilized to site and did some skeletal and bias works that will lead crisis within nearby communities in ovia south west LGA, Edo state, the contractor fully known very well that he played childish game and thereafter abandoned the roads with the materials, left without coming back till this moment.
The president Urge’s the interim chairman of NDDC to urgently do something positive to revamp the deplorable state of the road, stressing that the uncompleted nature of the project has resulted to the death of many pregnant women and others in Egbema kingdom. He had noted that the predominantly riverine people of Egbema kingdom, Okomu, olodiama, Gbarun and furupia kingdom, in both Delta and Edo state do not have any accessible road to access medical facilities in the urban which the people had described as a painful, dangerous and terrifying experience.
Speaking further, The Comrade had stated that his people are in a perilous situation as they are trapped in the river by water hyacinths in Polobubo/Tskelewu and Opuama , Ogbinbiri , Ogbudugbudu, and Abadigbene communities and the non completion of the only access Udo/Ofonama road project had resulted to untold hardship of his people.
In his words: “The main source of livelihood of the Egbema people is farming and a farmer , fishermen, timber dealers without any access road, is terrific, and terrible”.It would be recalled that Egbema kingdom in Warri South North Local Government Area of Delta State and Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State is host to several oil facilities and companies,
Some of such facilities include: “Dibi Oil Field, Alero Oil Field, operated by multinational oil giants, CHEVRON. “The Kingdom is also host to Opu-ekeba and Opuama flow stations operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC and many other facilities.”
It would be recalled that Egbema kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State is the third richest oil producing Ijaw kingdom in Delta State.
Comr. Mingo had revealed that in spite of the rich economic viability of Egbema kingdom, the people are yet to have any commensurable benefit from NDDC and other related agencies in the Niger Delta region. He had noted that the NDDC must critically look into the Udo/Ofunama road project and quickly swing into action by ensuring that the road is completed for the benefit of mankind.
