The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is set to cancel 482 contracts valued at about N90 billion over non-performance. The commission is also set to pay all outstanding arrears of foreign scholarships to students.

The Chairman of the governing board of the Commission, Victor Ndoma-Egba, disclosed this in a statement issued by his communication aide, Clara Braide, and made available to journalists in Calabar.

Mr. Ndoma-Egba who said the decision was reached at the recent meeting of the board in Abuja explained that the aim is to clean up the commission’s books and to remove non-performing items.

He also said that the board has resolved to clear the backlog and all issues surrounding the commission’s foreign scholarship programme.

According to the statement “Board reviewed the activities of the commission in the year, took statutory reports on procurements, budget performance, revenue and expenditure.

“Part of the decision we arrived at was to cancel 482 projects between 0-5 per cent startup valued at about N 90 billion. This is in a bid to clean up the commission’s books and to remove non-performing items.

“Also, by Tuesday next week, all outstanding issues regarding the foreign scholarship scheme would have been sorted out.”

On the commission’s plans for next year, the Chairman said that “our Signature project Obia-Nembe road which is our flagship for partnership with oil producing companies, will be ready this December and we are looking forward to commissioning it early next year.”

While maintaining that the board also took decision on some MOU’s signed with state governments on projects that will be jointly executed, he emphasised that “2018 will be dedicated largely to reforming NDDC systems, Audit of Personnel, restructuring the Commission’s governance protocols and projects, with more focus on ongoing projects.”