Essien Ayi: Lawmaker frowns at rate of progress of completion of Vocation Training Centre, Boro

Nyok|7 November 2018

BAYELSA —The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Rt. Hon. Essien Ekpenyong Ayi, Tuesday, expressed profound discontent over the rate of progress/completion of the Vocational Training Centre(VTC) Boro Town, Bayelsa State NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.

Rt. Hon. Ayi who represents the Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South Federal Constituency at Nigeria’s Green Chamber articulated this disposition when he and members of the House Committee went on an oversight function to the Centre in Boro, Kaiama in Bayelsa.

At the Centre, members of the House Committee who discovered that the constructing contractor of the centre were not on sight, were on an oversight function to ascertain the value of the project, date of award of the project, contractor responsible for the execution of the project, and variation of contract sum if any, etc.

While bearing his mind on the quality of the job and the progress made so far, the lawmaker expressed disappointment at the duration of completion of the project. According to Ayi, ‘A project which started in 2013 and after five years is not completed for me is not the best’.

Rt. Hon. Ayi who said that he was keen about the development of the area and completion of the project tasked the Facility Manager of the vocation centre, Mrs Esther Adaka Boro, to forward a report through the Presidential Amnesty Office to the House Committee on Niger Delta latest two weeks.

His words, ‘Most of us are from Niger Delta. It is our own region. I’m from Cross River. It will interest us to see to the development of this area. So, we are interested to see to the completion of this project in our own area. When we are coming here, besides coming from the National Assembly, we too have passion for our own area.

‘When we are coming here, we are coming to see, and assess so that it will guide us to make funds available for the completion of this project. If we don’t see we will not be able to appreciate it, if we sit in a budget session and they come and tell us bla bla bla bla, we will go back, and whatever we like we make available, but, as we have come to see, it will guide us, so that we can make the funds available, if we don’t appropriate the funds, the Amnesty Office can’t manufacture money, you cannot complete the project.’

‘In the next two weeks, we need a comprehensive report, we actually want to know what it will take to complete this project. If we know what it takes to complete this project, now that we have come to see facility for take off, we will be force to allocate money to complete the project, and you will be shocked by what you will see in the next budget, I want the project to take off latest by next year. So, forward the report to the House Committee on Niger Delta through the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty’.

Our correspondent gathered that the vocation Centre features training in eight disciplines including woodwork, catering, brick laying, plumbing, fashion designing, leather work, welding, and tailoring; as well as empowerment. The Centre has infrastructure of sixty bedrooms hostel, with a capacity for two hundred and forty students.

Other members of the House Committee present were Hon Uchechirun Nnam-Obi, Hon. Eucharia Azoda, Hon Evelyn Oboro, Hon Oghene E. Egoh, Hon Mike Omogbehin, Hon Henry Nwawuba, Hon Henry Archibong, Hon Istifamus Gyang, Hon Eta Mbora, Hon Mohammed Aliyu Sani and Mr Asuquo Afangideh (clerk of the committee).

Efio-Ita Nyok

• Is the Blogger-in-Chief, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of NEGROIDHAVEN