Contractors handling failed and abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region may face the music soon, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday.
Osinbajo stated this at a town hall meeting in Benin City, Edo State, as part of his facts finding visits to Nigeria Delta states.
The town hall meeting was however marred by protest by members of oil producing communities who insisted that the acting President should abandon the meeting.
Some youths from the Ijaw extraction led by an ex-militant, Henry Binidodogha, also disrupted the meeting after they were not allowed to make speech.
The representative of the oil producing communities, Don Ben, grabbed the microphone and told Osinbajo to leave the oil region alone if the communities were too insecure to be visited.
Ben said they have been at the Benin airport waiting for the arrival of the acting President only for them to be informed that the visit to the communities had been cancelled.
Binidodogha said peace is reigning in the state because of intervention by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
He said the Ijaws were neglected in the state, adding that it was difficult for any Ijaw man to win council elections in the state.
Responding, Osinbajo promised to reschedule another visit to the oil producing communities.
He said the planned closure of the Abuja international airport disrupted his visit to the state.
The acting President informed the gathering that the new vision for Niger Delta region would define a bright future for the communities.
He said the Federal government would hold any defaulting contractor handling projects in the Niger Delta as well as prosecute those that abandoned projects.
Osinbajo said the Buhari’s administration wants to ensure that the people get the real benefit of the country’s wealth.
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