NDDC Board Chairman Debunks False Claims on Calabar Road Projects
From Emmanuel Preye (Yenagoa)
The Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, has expressed deep concern over what he described as "false and politicised" claims on road projects in Calabar, suggesting that the commissioned road projects in Calabar were funded by the Cross River State Government.
Ebie, who made this known during a recent in address Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, strongly refuted the allegations, maintaining that the road projects, including those commissioned in Calabar South and Calabar Municipality, were fully executed and funded by the NDDC and followed all required legal and procurement procedures.
He described as “unfortunate” the attempts by certain individuals to discredit the Commission’s work in Cross River State despite what he called the “immense effort” put in by both contractors and NDDC staff.
"Last week we were in Calabar to commission the state office and some road projects. It is very unfortunate that despite the good work and the amount of effort and energy put into this project, not just by the contractors, but also by our staff who monitor, evaluate and certify these projects, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to cast the Commission in a bad light,” he said.
Ebie noted that recent media reports had wrongly claimed that due process was not followed in the award of the road contracts in Calabar.
He, however, restated that the Commission strictly adheres to its legal framework, stating that contracts are only signed by the Chairman and the Managing Director after due process has been completed.
“The law says the Chairman and the Managing Director shall sign contracts on behalf of the Commission. We only do that when due process has been followed.
"The procurement process is completed, award letters are issued, and bills of engineering measurement and evaluation (BEME) are prepared.
"So how can someone falsely claim there was no award letter, no BEME?” he queried.
He warned against dragging the NDDC into political battles, stressing that the current leadership is committed to repositioning the Commission for transparency and impact.
“Politics is politics, but don't include NDDC in it. This is the new NDDC, and we are determined to make a difference,” Ebie declared.
He also appreciated the people of Cross River for their support and announced that the Commission’s next engagement would be in Delta State.
