By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says that it will complete the 23.5 kilometre Otuasega-Obedum-Emelego road and bridges connecting Bayelsa and Rivers before end of 2017.
Mr Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, the commission’s Head of Corporate Affairs, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Amu-Nnadi said NDDC’s Executive Director of Projects, Mr Samuel Adjogbe had given the assurance when he led officials to inspect the road project.
Adjogbe said that the road would connect nine agricultural-rich communities in the area.
According to him, completion of the road project is part of efforts by the new NDDC management to complete both abandoned and on-going projects in the Niger Delta.
“The road runs between Otuasega in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state through Obedum and Emelego in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers state.
“The regional road project is very important, because it would help people of the area, mostly farmers to evacuate their agricultural produce to the cities and towns for sale.
“Funding has been a drawback, but we are determined to find ways to address the challenge and complete the road, so that we can get full value of the regional project.
“The contractor will be appropriately funded to ensure our target of delivering the project before the end of 2017 is realised,” Adjogbe said.
Adjogbe explained that farmers, who operated from the area had complained of their inability to transport their wares, such as cassava, plantains and bananas, among others to urban areas.
He urged community leaders and youths in the area to corporate with contractors handling the project to enable them complete the road on schedule.
The statement also quoted the community Liaison Officer for the project, Mr Sotonye Ezekiel as having said the road was in deplorable and impassable state until NDDC’s intervention on the road.