Ten years after, the people of Uzere community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday confronted the Niger Delta Development Commission on the abandoned Uzere-Patani Road.
The people are angry that the commission failed to adhere to the outcome of the meeting convened at the commission’s headquarters to fasttrack the abandoned project.
While they called on the commission to urgently respect the terms of agreement, they wondered why the commission was toiling with such striving resolution.
A letter, made available to The Eagle Online in Asaba on Thursday, addressed to the commission’s Managing Director, co-signed by the President-General of the community, Chief Emeakpor Owhe, and the Secretary, Genesis Ominabor, flayed why the project had lingered for 10 years.
The project was first awarded in 2006 to link all the communities around the community through a shorter corridor to the popular East-West Road.
It was later terminated in 2009 due to an alleged slow pace of work and re-awarded to another contractor.
The letter, also forwarded to the Commissioner representing Delta State on the board of the commission, Chief Solomon Ogba, as well as the commission’s Executive Director of Projects, warned the commission not to renege on the conclusions of the aforesaid meeting held in March this year.
The meeting, The Eagle Online further gathered, upheld that the abandoned project would top the list of special projects to be implemented.
Speaking on the development, Owhe said it became pressing to write the commission because another dry season is around.
He said: “We are afraid again that the contractor may not be mobilized to site due to lack of funds.
“We are therefore appealing to the NDDC boss to uphold the mutual agreement reached with the oil producing community by directing prompt release of funds to the contractor to commence work on the project.
“Today, Uzere has two oil fields, with 39 oil wells and a combined peak production of about 56,000 barrels of crude per day excluding abundant gas reserve.”