N6bn Ondo riverside communities’ power project ready soon – NNDC

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said its N6 billion 132/33KV sub-station designed to provide electricity for over 2, 000 riverside communities in Ondo state will be ready for use soon.

Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Akwagaga Enyia, gave this assurance while addressing newsmen during an inspection of the project in Okitipupa on Monday.

Enyia, who was in company of the state deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi,
said she was excited that the commission was constructing “a huge power station” in the oil-producing area of the state.

The project got stalled for over 10 months as a result of non-payment of the outstanding interim payment certificate (IPC).

However, the NDDC met that obligation last week and work began in earnest as a target completion period of first quarter of 2020 has been agreed between contractors and the commission.

“I was told that for some time, there was delay in the progress of work on site. When I came on board as the Acting MD, I made sure that funds were released to put the project on fast-track. That is why work is going on at a much faster pace now,” he said.

Enyia stated that it was one of the key projects with many months of outstanding interim payment certificates, which the commission had cleared to pave the way for progress at the site.

Enyia assured that as more funds were made available to the commission, payment would be sustained to guarantee early completion of the project, stating that the contractor had promised to complete the project by the first quarter of 2020.

Also, the deputy governor said the commission had done well in spite of some challenges which were expected in any organisation, especially in an interventionist agency such as the NDDC.

He expressed delight that over 2,000 oil-producing communities spread across five local government areas of Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Okitipupa, Odigbo and Irele, all in Ondo South senatorial district, would benefit from the sub-station.

“We must look at how we can strengthen the NDDC to enable it deliver on its mandate. We need to encourage and support NDDC to do more for the people of the region.

Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Niger Delta Power Holding Co Ltd., Ifeoluwa Oyedele, said the inspection by NDDC was significant because it underscored the importance of collaboration among  agencies of government.

He said that the NDDC sub-station would be fed from NDPHC power station in Omotosho, which, according to him, was grossly underutilised.

“We have four turbines at the station, but at the moment, we are firing only one while the rest are idle,” he said.

A traditional ruler from Ilaje local government area, Oba Oluwashegun Akinyomi, commended NDDC for the intervention, noting that all hands were on deck to deliver the project on time.

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