The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has urged contractors executing its projects to deliver quality jobs before they can qualify for payment.
The Rivers State Representative on the NDDC Board, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this during an interactive session with stakeholders and the contractors at the commission’s office in Port Harcourt.
This was contained in a statement issued in the state on Thursday by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni.
Okocha insisted that contractors who failed to meet the required specifications would not be paid for the projects.
While acknowledging the concerns of the contractors over delays in the payment for completed jobs, he said the Commission might consider an upfront mobilisation fee to contractors to enable them to fast-track their jobs.
Okocha said, “I am coming to your sites with my team of competent engineers to assess the work you are doing and if I find the work to be sub-standard, you will have yourself to blame as the current NDDC board will not compromise on standards.”
He stressed that the Commission would execute projects and programmes in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration that meant well for the people of the Niger Delta region.
He added, “We will create a table of contractors that actually worked and are deserving of payment for their efforts.”
Contributing to the discussion, one of the contractors, Chief Tony Maduabuchi, appealed to the Federal Government to remove the NDDC from the Treasury Single Account, as he complained contractors were not getting proper funding from the Commission due to the TSA.
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