The people of Okpele-Ama community in Gbaramatu community, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, weekend protested against the abandoned N1.9billion project awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to First Marine and Engineering Services Company.
Chairman of the community, Mr. Mike Titon who briefed newsmen, alleged that NDDC awarded the project to First Marine and Engineering Service Company since 2005, and it was the pilling of the sea wall and reclamation of Okpele-Ama community, adding that despite NDDC paying over N1.5 billion to the contractor, the project has since been abandoned.
Titon said, “We are aware that NDDC has paid the company over 80 percent of the total cost of the contract, yet the company brought two JTF gun boats to threaten members of the community and removed its equipments; and as a result of our refusal over 20 indigenes sustained various degrees of injury due to the manhandling by the military men.
“We call on the EFCC, management of the NDDC, National Assembly, Delta State government and other related authorities to call the company to order and complete the job before it can remove its equipments”.
However, the operations manager of First Marine and Engineering Services, Engr. Agbeyi Pakemi said, “The job is about N1.9 billion and about N1.4 billion has been paid,” noting that 100 percent of the pilling work has been done while concrete and apron part of the job has not been touched.
“Our dredger has been there since 2010 and because of lack of sand we only got 50 percent of the dredging work. We complained to NDDC who in turn through their consultant asked us to remove our equipments before they will re-plan on how to get sand to fill the remaining part of the job.”
Pakemi pointed that “it is only the dredger that we want to remove; other materials like crane, pilling materials are all there. Just because we have a bank facility of N2.5 million per day on the dredger that is why we want to remove it from there to other place where we can use it to work and pay the bank.
“The two JTF gun boats they alleged that we brought went there to escort the materials to Yenagoa because of sea pirates and not to intimidate members of the community”.
