By Jennifer John
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has assured of his administration’s determination to reposition the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to guarantee the overall development of the Niger Delta region.
The president gave this assurance, Thursday while commissioning the 13 storeys administrative head office complex of the NDDC in Rivers State, a project he said started in 1996, underwent several redesigning and later abandoned by successive administrations.
He commended the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, management and staff of the commission for providing the required leadership and diligent service which saw the completion of the complex.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma who was nominated to speak on behalf of governors from the Niger Delta region, expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari/federal government of Nigeria for bringing the gigantic project to fruition after almost two decades of abandonment.
He described NDDC as a direct response of the federal government to the agitations by people of oil-producing areas for the establishment of an interventionist agency that will address the degradation in the area, as well as tackle the infrastructural deficit.
“Unfortunately, after two decades of its existence, with an estimated allocation of over N946.91 billion, in 18 years, NDDC may find it very difficult to convince many Nigerians, especially those from the South-east and South-south states that it has justified reason for its creation”.
He commended President Buhari for setting up a committee for a forensic audit of the commission’s finances, given the financial scandal that rocked it and also for setting up an interim administration to manage the affairs of the commission, pending the conclusion of the forensic audit.
“On that note, the nine governors are solidly behind the federal government effort to reposition the NDDC, to make it responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of our people”.
Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio, in his address, noted that he was the first minister/official from the presidency that visited the project site after over 26 years it was abandoned, left waterlogged and swampy.
He thanked the president for his love for the Niger Delta, positing that history will be fair to him for the project and other laudable projects his administration has done for the people of the Niger Delta such as; the East-West Road which also started in 2006, the second Niger Bridge that has been on the drawing board since 1960, a second bridge connecting Ogoni in Rivers State and Ikoro Abasi in Akwa-Ibom state, among others.
He acknowledged that the Niger Delta region was in dire need of developmental projects which it has lacked for years and assured that the Buhari led administration will gradually address the deficits.
Earlier in his address, the Interim administrator/Chief executive officer of the commission, Mr Efiong Akwa conveyed the gratitude of management and staff of the commission, as well as people of the region to President Muhammadu Buhari for the laudable project and many others like it, which he said has buttressed his love for the region.
He said the president deliberately initiated three major policies that impacted positively on the speedy completion of the project which are; re-assigning supervision of NDDC to the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the appointment of forensic auditors to audit the finance of the commission since inception and his policy directive for the completion of all abandoned projects in the region that have a positive impact on the
the wellbeing of the people.
