From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has reaffirmed its commitment to regular engagement with critical stakeholders in driving the development process in the Niger Delta region.
The NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, stated this when a delegation of stakeholders from Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Ogbuku stated: “We all face the same challenges in the region and this means that we must all work together to address the challenges, regardless of our ethnic background. Challenges, such as underdevelopment and ecological problems, confront all of us.”
He said that NDDC would initiate several development projects in Ogba, Egbema and Ndonì communities.
He disclosed that the development initiatives would cover construction of bridges and internal roads, youth empowerment schemes, agricultural development schemes as well as cultural revival schemes.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer stated that the Commission was committed to the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region through continuous stakeholders’ engagements and equitable distribution of available resources.
Ogbuku noted that it was important to enhance collaboration between state governments, the NDDC, and other critical stakeholders to drive development through the monitoring and execution of regional projects.
He recalled that the NDDC recently hosted the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt, to articulate new strategies for driving the development of the Niger Delta region.
He added that the Commission had previously hosted a two-day 2024 Budget of Reconstruction Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where the stakeholders resolved that the best option for facilitating regional development was for all concerned parties to work together as partners.
The NDDC boss said that the people of the region must shift their focus from the acquired taste of crude oil exploration and exploitation to sustainable agricultural practices which had made the region prosperous for centuries.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation from the palace of the Oba of Ogbaland, Dr Nwachukwu Nnam Obuoha Obi 111, Dr Chris Ojobah, appealed to the NDDC to extend more development projects to their communities.
He Stated: “We would like to bring to your attention that the community of Ogba Egbema in Ndoni LGA, Rivers State is rich in natural resources and plays a vital role in contributing to the nation’s economy, with approximately 70 per cent of the country’s crude oil and gas originating from our region.”
Ojobah, however, acknowledged some of the development projects embarked upon by the NDDC in the Local Government Area, including the huge increase in the 2024 budget of the Commission, which they said was a significant milestone in terms of both value and strategy.
He declared: “The paramount ruler of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA on behalf of the people of the communities, wish to express our sincere appreciation for the positive initiatives undertaken by your administration as the MD/CEO of NDDC. We commend the “Operation Light Up the Niger Delta Solar Initiative,” which has illuminated many communities in the Niger Delta region.”
In his remarks, the representative of Rivers State on the NDDC Governing Board, Tony Okocha, commended the delegation from the Oba of Ogbaland for choosing to consult, rather than confront the NDDC. He noted that the people had demonstrated their commitment to peace as a prerequisite for development.