The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said the completion of the abandoned NDDC hostel in Site III of Delta State University, Abraka Campus would give more students the opportunity to live on campus and enhance their safety.
The 522-bed capacity hostel was awarded in 2004 at a contract sum of N400 million but was abandoned in 2014.
The Delta State representative to the board of the commission, Hon Monday Igbuya revealed this at the weekend when he led other officials of the commission on a site inspection tour of the university in compliance with the directives from President Bola Tinubu that all abandoned NDDC projects in the country be completed.
In his speech, lgbuya expressed pleasure over his observation that students of the university are well-behaved as there were practically no reported cases of students’ disturbances, restiveness or involvement in cult and other such negative vices.
The NDDC board member expressed optimism that in light of the present economic realities, the project will be reviewed so that it could be commissioned before the end of the year given the level of cooperation from both the consultant and contractor under his close supervision.
Igbuya was accompanied on the site inspection by the director, NDDC Delta State, Mr Onoriode Omo-Udoyo, other engineers from the commission and the contractor, Engr Chika Breben, who conducted the team round the project.
Receiving the NDDC team, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof Andy Egwunyenga, praised Igbuya for his personal commitment to infrastructure development in the university.
The vice chancellor, who was represented by the deputy vice chancellor (Administration), Prof Rosemary Okoh, noted that Igbuya’s appointment to the board of the NDDC was a blessing to the university, Delta State and the Niger Delta region in general.
Egwunyenga noted that the completion of the project would go a long way in boosting the university’s provision of campus accommodation for her students.
He gave the visiting team the assurance that the university would respond immediately to the invitation from the NDDC board member to partner with the commission by providing details of other areas of needs for necessary assistance within the powers of the commission.
