Group sues NDDC over abandoned projects in Delta

A federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State has fixed February 25, 2021, for hearing in a suit instituted by the advocate for Accountability and Good Governance against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The group sued NDDC over alleged abandonment of projects, which include road contract for Urhokpe Street in Kokori Inland and others in Ethiope East Council.

When the case marked: FHC/ASB/CS/1/2021, was called up for hearing yesterday, Justice T. B. Adegoke admitted and marked the request letter signed by O. E. Emetanjo, asking for public records of the abandoned projects dated November 11, 2020, and January 12, 2021, as ‘Exhibit AO.

Solicitor of A.A. Oronkoya and Co, M. O. Adah and counsel to the litigant, Austin Onori, told the court that the commission violated Section 2 of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, by hiding the amount of money paid to the contractors, handling the abandoned projects, especially the controversial Urhokpe Inland road.

He said the commission failed to provide the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the contract agreement between NDDC and the contractors since November 13, 2020, when the request was made.

The matter was adjourned to Thursday, February 25 for further hearing.

MEANWHILE, a member of the National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), AVM Frank Ajobena (rtd.), yesterday, appealed to all leaders, particularly those at the federal level to allow peace to reign in the state.

Ajobena, who spoke with journalists in Asaba, said it was an aberration for one man to hijack the party’s registration and revalidation exercise in a democratic setting.

He tasked Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo and stakeholders to partner with Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege to move the party forward.

He insisted that it was not possible for one person to know everybody that would be registered in the 270 wards of the state, describing Keyamo’s outcry against the exercise as mischievous and unwarranted.

Ajobena, therefore, urged Keyamo to concentrate on his ministerial duties, saying there was the need for all members to be united and work towards bringing more people into the party.