Akpabio Urges Communities to Protect Govt Projects

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has urged the communities in the Niger Delta region to be dedicated to the protection and co-maintenance of the projects cited in their locality, so that government would continue to bring more development to the people.

He made this appeal during the inauguration/handing over of the projects constructed by the ministry in the areas.

Akpabio, who inaugurated two projects including youth corp members quarters and viewing centre at Koroma Tai, Rivers State and a rehabilitated block of five classrooms at Tombia, in Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, said the projects were some of the interventions by the ministry in the region.

Represented by Ephraim Brigid, a management staff in Housing and Urban Development Department of the Ministry, the minister described the youth corp quarters and viewing centre as one of the gains and achievements recorded under the ‘change agenda’ of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He disclosed that the Niger Delta Region should expect more intervention projects as soon as the 2022 appropriation bill is passed.

According to him, “This commissioning is only the beginning. The Ministry is passionately seeking better and faster ways of delivering on its mandate. We have noted and learnt many lessons from the development of this project and will factor this into future projects.”

The Minister stated that the project was born out of the Ministry’s desire to achieve it’s statutory mandate to improve the quality of life of the corp members posted to Niger Delta Region.

Akpabio further stated that it was heartwarming to note that all aspects of the project construction were awarded to indigenous and local contractors to enable the community benefit by providing employment opportunities.

In Tombia, the minister, represented by Sabo Adamu, a director in the ministry, said it was the belief that improvement in the quality of Education could reduce poverty as much as 30 per cent, hence the intervention with the educational sector.

“It is on this note that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has made considerable intervention in the educational sector, which is aimed at improving the quality of human capital in the Niger Delta region,” he said

Among the intervention embarked by the Ministry in the education sector were the construction and equipping of classroom blocks, libraries, laboratories, CBT centers, provision of computers and ICT facilities.”

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babayo Ardo, in his welcome address stated that the facility was one of the many projects being developed by the Ministry in each of the nine Niger Delta states.

Tai Local Government Chairman, Friday Mbakpone, said corp members played important roles in the community, school and offices and commended MNDA for providing comfort to the youth.

He pledged the readiness of his office to collaborate with any organisation (public and private that want to provide some level of comfort for corp members.

He, however, enjoined the corp members to take care of the lodge, having in mind that other corp members were expected to use the same after their end of service year.