April 8, (THEWILL) – The Ayama Community of Gbarain clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has joined the league of communities which have been lit up by the solar-powered street lights projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
To this end, the community have rolled out the drums to celebrate the successful completion of the project, while also thanking the Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire management of the interventionist agency for considering the community amongst many others which have benefitted from the ongoing projects being executed by the Commission across the Niger Delta region.
THEWILL learnt this on Sunday while speaking with the Ayama community leadership during a tour of select communities across Bayelsa State, which have been impacted by the NDDC’s ‘Operation Light Up Niger Delta’.
Speaking with newsmen, the trio of the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Kawari Apina-Owei, his Deputy, HRH Jeremiah Selesai, and Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Geseye Apina-Owei, commended the NDDC management for not only awarding the project to the community but for awarding it to a contracting firm, Doncont Nig.Ltd, who, according to them, delivered the project timely and within specifications.
Ayama is one of the communities in the Gbarain Clan oil and gas hub of the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the State.
“Some relief came our way when the NDDC awarded the solar-powered street lights to this community. This is the first time we are feeling the impact of the leadership and management of the NDDC since inception.
“We thank the Managing Director/CEO of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire management of the Commission for remembering our community, Ayama, in the award of this solar light project. Before now, we had been in total darkness, so snakes and other dangerous reptiles were roaming at night.
“We couldn’t move at night before the execution of this solar light project once it’s night in this community, but now, from here, we can move at any time of the night to our neighbouring Ogboloma and Okotiama communities
“This is the first NDDC project this community is benefitting. As we speak, we don’t have water, no health facility, no good school. We also need internal roads in this community. We call on the NDDC management led by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the hardworking MD/CEO of the NDDC, to reconsider this community on these other infrastructures we don’t have,” the community said.
The trio, who also expressed their appreciation to the Vicar, St. Luke’s Anglican church, Ayama, Rev. Paul Edidi, described him as God sent, noting that the clergy facilitated the award of the project by the NDDC to the community when they least expected.
“We also want to thank God for the life of Rev. Paul Edidi, who facilitated the award of this project by the NDDC to our community. Rev. Edidi is God sent to our community.
“We thank the contractor, High Chief Osigwe Bayefa of Doncont Nig. Ltd, for the timely execution of this project according to specifications. We’ll continue to pray that whenever the NDDC wants to award other projects it should consider Doncont Nig. Ltd and High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, the contractor for this solar project, for doing a great job,” the community added.
Similarly, in separate interviews, the Chairman, Gbarain/Ekpetiama Rural Development Authority (RDA), Hon.Tolumona Engedefa; the community’s Woman Leader, Mrs Kuro Apina-owei, and the community’s Youth President, Comrade Mieyeseigha Selesai, reiterated the resolve of the community towards continuous cooperation with contractors of the NDDC and others in the future for timely execution of projects in the community.
They emphasised that the seamless execution of the solar-powered project by the contractor was a direct result of the community’s cooperation and readiness to partner for development.
On their part, Rev. Paul Edidi, whom the community described as the facilitator for the award of the project, and Prof. Benjamin Teibowei, Senior lecturer, Bayelsa State Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa, have described the NDDC management, headed by Dr Samuel Ogbuku, as a committed institution with a willingness to fast-track the developmental processes of the Niger Delta region.
The duo noted that the award of the project by the NDDC to the community, which they alleged does not have any known political or economic heavyweight to lobby a project of that magnitude, has again demonstrated that the Commission, under the stewardship of Ogbuku, was in for a paradigm shift.
In the same vein, the Operations Manager of the contracting firm, Doncont Nig. Ltd, Mr. Pereowei Bayefa, who spoke on behalf of High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, Chairman Board of Trustees, Doncont Nig. Ltd, has said the firm was noted for executing projects within specifications and timelines, thanking the NDDC and the community for the confidence reposed in the firm.
About the Author
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
