Imo: NDDC flags off emergency procurement, installation of solar street lights in 8 communities

DDM NEWS

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Imo State has flagged off the emergency procurement and installation of 233 solar-powered streetlights in eight new different communities in Imo State.

The event took place at NDDC office Port Harcourt road Owerri Imo state on Thursday 29th May 2025.

Addressing the Community Reps and Contractors at the NDDC State Office in Owerri, the NDDC State Director,  Sir Kelechi Nwelu emphasized that the site handvover is a take off meeting usually organized by the NDDC for the contractors and their host community before the official commencement of any NDDC Project.

He said NDDC was established in the year 2000 for the development of the Niger Delta and stated that the commission will be celebrating 25 by July adding that within the last 25 years, the commissioned has achieved a lot which include the operation light up Niger Delta where solar-powered streetlights are freely given to communities by the commission through the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said in the last two years, Imo State has gotten its own fair share in the light up project and congratulated the eight new communities for making it into list of benefiting Communities.

He urged the NDDC Contractors to ensure they deliver the project in line with NDDC specifications  and expressed confidence in the abilities of the Contractors to deliver.

He maintained that the Contractors have not been paid a dime in line with the NDDC no work, no pay policy and that the contractors have been urged to source for funds elsewhere to execute the project and that after the job is delivered in line with the NDDC specifications and timeline, the NDDC State Office will prepare their valuation and send to Head Office for processing and payment.

The NDDC State Director maintained that the NDDC will not like a situation where Host Communities will start asking Contractors for Matching ground, Bush entry, sit at home homeage,etc and added that NDDC will not fail to relocate the project if any community is hostile to their Contractor and pleaded to the Host community to help the contractor achieve a win-win situation for the commission.

He also pleaded with the Contractors to adhere strictly with the Bill of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation as  they might be shortchanged once their BEME is tampered in the field and stated that it is the job of NDDC to supervise their projects and not the right of the Host community and that host communities have the right to report to NDDC if any Contractor fails to do the right thing in site instead of harrassing the Contractor in the field.

The NDDC Head of Project Imo State, Pastor Chris Nwosu in his address stated that the NDDC solar streetlight is for public use and not for personal consumption.

He said the planting and installation of the solar street lights must only be cited in Public Roads, Schools, Hospitals, Markets, Govt Offices and the house of Traditional Ruler as the case might be and urged the Contractors not to install the solar light under High Tension Poles or low Tension and urged the host communities to cooperate with the Contractors.

He also urged Contractors to ensure strict adherence to the Bill of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation as anything short of that will deny them of their payment after the completion of the project.

The NDDC Imo State Rep while speaking said the major essence of the meeting was to establish a tripartite relationship between the Imo NDDC, the Contractors and their Host Communities in other to help the Contractors deliver in line with NDDC Specifications.

He said communities who have benefitted from the past have no reason to ask for solar again but are now asking for roads, schools, hospitals etc.

He remarked that in 2014/2015, when NDDC was installing solar streetlights which has its battery below the Poles though not as voluminous as the current solar light, Vandals and Criminals were having field day stealing the batteries because it was installed below the Poles until in 2019 when NDDC started looking for innovative ways to solve the problem of darkness in the Niger Delta not until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into power in 2023 and immediately approved the Multi Purpose Solar Powered street light which has its battery on top and which battery is very difficult for Vandals and Criminals to steal.

The Imo NDDC State Rep said since commencement of the program, more than 300 out of the 600 Autonomous Communities, Neighbourood, Estates and Cities in Imo has benefitted excluding the solar light installed by the Governor from Fire Service Round About down to Mbaise Umuahia Rd.

The ones installed by the Governor from Prison/Govt House Round About to Okigwe, the streetlights installed by the Governor from Akwakuma Junction down to Banana Junction Orlu etc.

He said the project is life changing as it has changed the social life of all benefitting communities.

Women who sell at night in the market now last longer in the market at night making extra capital.

School children now use the light to read at Night, Community Vigilante groups now use the light to track Criminals at night, the Imo NDDC State Rep stated.

Hon Dr Kyrian Uchegbu opined that the importance of the solar powered street lights cannot be overemphasized and added that the removal of the fuel subsidy by the President has increased the financial capability of NDDC to do more projects for the people as the President have again graciously increased the number of solar per community from 229 to 233 and urged all benefitting communities to continue to support the President as the problems of the country is many and cannot be solved in a day as President Tinubu has gathered the courage to answer bad name and fix the country instead of answering good name and see the country continue undeveloped.

He said when President Tinubu was Governor in Lagos, the people initially complained of his reforms until he finished his tenure and became the best Governor Lagos ever produced and stated that Nigerians will be proud of the President and the country after the end of his tenure in 2031.

Hon Dr Kyrian Uchegbu maintained that for the love the President has for the Igbos, he quickly approved and funded the South East Development Commission which has been there since the days of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as President before Sen Samdaddy Anyanwu moved a motion in the Senate in 2015 for its approval all to no avail until President Tinubu assumed office and quickly assented to it together with other regional development commission and approved an initial take off fund of Two Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira for each regional development commission.

He said the light up Niger Delta project is another exemplary project of the President and urged any Contractor given the opportunity to execute project for the commission to do it in line with specifications as the project cost NDDC not less than 100m per community and NDDC will not give the Contractor a dime until project is completed, evaluated and stand test of time before the NDDC will pay the Contractor and urged all Contractors not to shortchange themselves in site.

He maintained that the emergency procurement is not from the budget and that it is the President who approves it before the commission issues award letter and site handover.

Hon Dr Kyrian Uchegbu maintained that NDDC Contractors handling job in Imo have done well in the past jobs handled for the Commission and urged Contractors for the new eight communities to follow suit as they can do another project for the commission after completing their current job.

He urged the people to encourage the President because he has done much for the people of the area adding that he is just coming out from a meeting where the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with NDDC and the State Government trained and empowered over 300 Incubators and Incubatees to start up there Agricultural business and urged the people to be tapping in from Federal government program.

Finally, he urged all benefitting communities to continue to protect all NDDC projects in their locality and reaffirmed confidence in the ability of the local community Vigilante groups to protect the govt facilities in their area.

He therefore on behalf of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chairman of NDDC Governors Forum, the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, the Chairman South East Governors Forum,  Sen Hope Uzodinma, the Chairman NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, the MD Dr Samuel Ogbuku and on behalf of the Imo State NDDC flagged off the installation of the solar streetlights in eight different Autonomous Community in the name of the father, the son and the Holy spirit. Amen.

The Traditional Ruler of EZIGARAGU ENYIOGUGU Autonomous Community in his vote of thanks thanked the NDDC for the solar streetlights.

He said by now, govt could no longer pay salary if the fuel subsidy was not removed and added that the monthly allocation of State governors have now increased by three times what it used to be before the removal of subsidy and added that it is the reason Gov Uzodinma completed Owerri Umuahia Rd and other critical roads in the State and even recently awarded Owerri Elele Road.

He thanked the NDDC for delivering in accordance with the mandate given to them by the president and maintained that some persons will not deliver if given the opportunity to handle their office.

He promised to protect the NDDC facilities and stated that their community will use it to campaign for the President during election in 2027.

Another Speaker from Umualoma Community Ideato North thanked the NDDC and added that the president is working as his achievements are visible all over the State.

He assured Contractors of their safety while handling the project and promised to safeguard the facilities after the installation.

Also speaking, A contractor who expressed gratitude to the NDDC for the job given to his company said in the past, NDDC Contractors are not being paid after doing their job but that the current board are seriously paying their Contractors after job well done and commended the 7th Governing Board for their foresight.

Another Contractor who also spoke said their challenge after completion of job is delay in payment as a result of slow handling and processing and forwarding of their files for payment.

He thanked God for the person of Imo Nddc Rep who do not joke in the treatment of files regarding the payment of Contractors.

He urged all indigenous Contractors from the state to rise and join their counterparts in pursuing Contracts for the commission as some states are actually getting more than others as a result of Entrepreneurs and Indigenous Contractors pursuing projects in line with the no work, no pay policy of NDDC .

The Commissioner thereafter urged all Contractors to always follow up with their files as NDDC have only one payment point and there are lots of files to attend as it is a gradual process.

Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of closing prayer by the Head of project and a group photograph taken by staffs, management, Contractors and community reps.

The meeting ended in a friendly note as Contractors move in to the field to deliver their job for the commission

Temple Izu Dikeocha
Reporting

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