The federal lawmaker representing Bomadi–Patani constituency in the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu has given an assurance that the contract for the Shore Protection and Reclamation Works to protect the shores of Akugbene community , in Bomadi local government area of Delta State, from coastal erosion will be reawarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) after initial setback.
Hon Mutu who paid a working visit to Akugbene community following a devastating landslide in the area, said the project would provide a permanent solution to the incessant coastal erosion ravaging the community.
He said, ”Akugbene has been plagued by coastal erosion over the years. The recent landslide is one amongst numerous previous incidences”
”To permanently address this challenge, I succeeded in getting the NDDC to award a contract for Sore Protection and Reclamation Works to protect the shores of the community from further erosion”
”Unfortunately, this project suffered some setbacks largely due to design defects. The NDDC engineers who designed the project assumed a flat river bed across the banks of the community. The bill of quantities prescribed a uniform length for all the pillars, failing to factor in the varying depth across the various segments of the waterfront. This defect was only discovered when the contractor mobilised to the site and commenced work”
”You can see some of the pillars in some sections of the community”
”I have, in collaboration with the contractor, engaged the NDDC to redesign the project to address the identified defects”
”Though the process has been painfully slow, I am glad to report that considerable progress has been made by the NDDC engineers”
”God willing, the project will be reawarded, and this will put a permanent end to this erosion menace”
The federal lawmaker hinted that he had mobilised personal resources to deploy two dredgers to the community as a stop gap measure to ameliorate the problem pending when NDDC will reward the contract and mobilise the contractor to the site.
Mutu stated further, ”I have also, in recent times, gotten the NDDC to award contracts for sandfiliing parts of the community. This is aimed at reclaiming swampy lands in the community to expand access to buildable lands in the community”
”My long-term vision for the community is to expand the frontiers of the community beyond and away from the shoreline by building infrastructure in the hinterlands.
This includes the ongoing Bomadi- Gbaregolor- Akugbene- Ezebiri road”.
Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner for local government area and chiieftancy affairs, Prince Kelly Penawou said erosion had become a source of great concern and a major threat to indigenes of Akugbene community in Bomadi LGA , Delta State .
Prince penawou thanked indigenes of the community for their understanding , patience and cooperation. saying the governor was aware of their plight and concern about.
He appreciated the efforts of Hon Mutu and Franklin Garry for urgently providing pallative measures in the aftermath of the ravaging coastal erosion..
