A group, Niger Delta Indigenous Contractors Association, has threatened to stage a nationwide protest if the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Akwa Effiong and Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, refuse to pay up their outstanding debts.
Recall that some contractors on Tuesday had staged a protest at the headquarters of the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they demanded payment of their outstanding debts owed by the commission.
In a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Spokesman of the association, Dressman Darlington, said the intended protest would happen across the nine states of the Niger Delta region and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should the management of the NDDC fail to meet their demand by Tuesday, February 15.
He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a substantive board for the commission as soon as possible, to prevent the mismanagement of the commission.
“The contractors’ association is also calling on Mr President to consider the request of the Olu of Warri and other prominent Niger Delta stakeholders to constitute and inaugurate a substantive board of the NDDC.
“Due to intervention by some critical stakeholders from various sectors, the protesting contractors and consultants of NDDC, have decided to suspend the protest at the NDDC gate temporarily.”
Darlington also asked the President to call the Interim Administrator of the NDDC, Effiong to order, over the alleged use of thugs to intimidate and assault protesting contractors.
“It also calls on President Buhari, and other relevant authorities and leaders of the Niger Delta region to call on Effiong to desist from using hoodlums, miscreants and thugs to intimidate, harass and assault contractors who are protesting for their payments.
“The contractors will continue to request the NDDC to pay for services rendered creditably as competent and performing contractors of the NDDC while frowning at the situation where contractors will not be mobilised by the NDDC to execute projects, a situation where the contractors will borrow money from banks at high-interest rates to execute projects yet will be owed for five years and more without payment.
“The contractors are in pains and describe the activities of Effiong and Akpabio as discouraging, devilish and an act of wickedness, noting that their action does not represent what Mr President stands for.
“It is very sad that Effiong and Akpabio have turned the NDDC, under their watch, to Akwa Ibom Nigeria Limited thereby subjecting other parts of the region and contractors to acute penury and poverty,” Darlington added.
