Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),Mrs Ibim Semenitari said the agency had completed 242 roads, electrification and hostel projects in Imo state ,contrary to Governor Rochas Okorocha ‘ s claim that the agency had neglected the state.

The projects were delivered over the past 16 years since the commission came into existence.

Semenitari made the clarification during her visit to Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo.

She said the commission was committed to addressing challenges confronting the region by repositioning from physical infrastructure needs to human capacity development.

“Since inception, the commission has tried to meet expectations of the people by completing 242 projects in Imo state.

“The commission has constructed several roads; undertaken rural electrification projects in communities such as in Okigwe, Umuenyi in Isiala-Mbano and Awa/Akabor communities.

“We have also donated over 400 transformers to many other communities in the state; donated medical equipment and drugs to hospitals and carried out free medical missions in rural communities.

“Recently, NDDC also built and donated 522-bed space hostels each to Imo State University and the Federal University of Science and Technology,” Semenitari said.

According to her,the commission is now concerned with dualisation of the Avu to Etekwuru road project that would connect six communities in the state. The project, when completed, would increase economic activities around the Amafor market and the general Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema local government areas of Imo.

NDDC as an interventionist agency was focused to bridge the development gap in the region and improve livelihoods of the people, she added.

“To this end, the commission will no longer tolerate substandard projects because we cannot continue to ignore our responsibility to impact positively on the lives of our people.

“I’ve told my engineers that such delivery cannot be accepted. We will put every strategy in place to ensure that our projects become worthier,” Semenitari stated.

Semenitari called on Imo government to set up a team to interface with NDDC to put an end to duplication of projects.

Okorocha called on the NDDC to focus more on building “big ticket projects” that would connect the nine states that make up the region.

NDDC should not bother itself with renovation of primary and secondary schools, but rather change its style and go for big ticket projects, he advised.

Okorocha urged the commission to follow the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to complete all ongoing projects in the region.