Rivers State has been identified as the second State with the highest number of abandoned projects.

Rivers State representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission Tony Okocha reiterated this at an interactive session with members of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council yesterday. 

Okocha said 953 projects so far are being abandoned across the state and identified the staggered nature of appointments of the NDDC board and Nonpayment to contractors as some of the reasons for the abandonment. 

Okocha also assured that their tenure at the NDDC would focus more on human capacity development than infrastructure including ensuring the principles of equality and the protection of the rights of the people of Rivers State to make sure the state is not shortchanged. 

Executive Director Finance and Administration of the NDDC Boma Iyaye at the event announced that the budget of the NDDC has been increased from N100bn to N300bn.

Correspondent  Allwell Ene reports that the chairman of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council Eze Sergeant Awuse expressed gratitude to the NDDC for the recognition and prayed against the NDDC being moribund.