Forensic auditors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have so far uncovered 12,128 abandoned projects, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio said Wednesday.
He said the contractors could not be traced.
Akpabio spoke while hosting the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Hajia Amina Mohammed, in his office.
He said: “An interim report of the forensic verification exercise has been revealing. The process has been transparent.
“We listed 9,080 projects to be considered in the verification process but in less than three months, the report so far shows that 12,128 projects have been discovered as abandoned with no specific ownership attached to them.”
According to him, most of the abandoned projects have become sanctuaries for criminals.
“Projects were embarked on without consultations. There was no coordination,” he said.
Akpabio said the ministry has created the “strategic implementation work plan” to coordinate the activities of development partners and stakeholders to prevent duplication of projects.
He believes the Niger Delta remains the most peaceful region in Nigeria.
He said the ministry is developing a programme called “Catch them young”, where young people in primary and secondary schools are enlightened on the importance of peace and the dangers of destroying oil installations.
Mohammed said the UN was concerned about issues bordering on the Niger Delta and would do everything within the agency’s programmes to address them.
She praised the Federal Government for its efforts in ensuring peace in the region.
“Without peace, there cannot be any meaningful development, especially when the aspirations and rights of the people are not recognised,” she said.
Permanent Secretary, Dr Babayo Ardo, said that the ministry, as part of its mandate, has provided infrastructure and high impact programmes for youths and women in the Niger Delta.
He said it would collaborate with the UN in implementing its programmes for the region.
