Tag: NDDC

Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) has denounced reports claiming it diverted funds earmarked for contractors, to finance All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaigns in Edo State.

The commission in a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thomson-Wakama, said NDDC would not sponsor parties contesting elections at any level of government.

The statement said: “To set the record straight, NDDC does not sponsor parties or candidates contesting elections at any level of government. Our mandate is to fast-track the development of Niger Delta.

“The board and management of NDDC is now more than ever determined to uphold its mantra, which is, ‘Making a Difference’, in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta.

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“We urge the public to disregard false stories spread by mischief-makers to derail the innovations being introduced by the NDDC board and management, led by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and Managing Director Dr Samuel Ogbuku.”

The statement said the commission was aware of an increasing need to be seen to be more accountable to the public and to conduct its affairs in a more transparent manner.

“Responding to this reality, we engaged KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, to review and strengthen our corporate governance system, as well as improve our internal processes and institutional protocols. They have helped us to establish a new institutional culture, anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance.”

“As part of this control mechanism, we recently held a meeting with members of the NDDC Advisory Committee, comprising governors of the nine Niger Delta states, empowered to advise and monitor the activities of the commission,” the commission said.

The statement further said the commission was committed to working with stakeholders to drive the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

It said: “To achieve this goal, we are collaborating with development partners, including state governments in the Niger Delta, ‘to build a region that is socially stable, economically prosperous, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful’.

“We assure our stakeholders and the public that the NDDC board and management will not be distracted in its resolve to do things differently and make a difference in the Niger Delta.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has denounced reports claiming it diverted funds earmarked for contractors to finance the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship campaigns in Edo State.

The commission in a statement signed by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thomson-Wakama, said NDDC would not sponsor political parties contesting elections at any level of government.

The statement said: “To set the records straight, NDDC does not sponsor political parties or candidates contesting in elections at any level of government. Our mandate is to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta region.

“The Board and Management of the NDDC is now more than ever determined to uphold its mantra, which is, ‘Making a Difference’, in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region.

“We urge members of the public to disregard the false stories spread by mischief-makers to derail the various innovations being introduced by the NDDC Board and Management, led by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku”.

The statement said the commission was aware of an increasing need to be seen to be more accountable to the public and to conduct its affairs more transparently.

“Responding to this reality, we engaged the KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, to review and strengthen our corporate governance system, as well as improve our internal processes and institutional protocols. They have helped us to establish a new institutional culture, anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance.

Read Also: NDDC hosts retreat to boost operational efficiency, corporate governance

“As part of this control mechanism, we recently held a meeting with members of the NDDC Advisory Committee, comprising governors of the nine Niger Delta states, statutorily empowered to advise and monitor the activities of the Commission”, the commission said.

The statement further said the commission was committed to working with stakeholders to drive the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It said: “To achieve this goal, we are collaborating with development partners, including the state governments in the Niger Delta region, ‘to build a region that is socially stable, economically prosperous, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful’.

“We assure our stakeholders and members of the public that the NDDC Board and Management will not be distracted in its resolve to do things differently and make a difference in the Niger Delta region”.

• •  Calls on President Tinubu to disregard self-serving accusations

Former member, Federal House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, has flayed the call by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, High Chief Michael Johnny, on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to renew the tenure of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.

Chief Johnny, the Agadiwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta state had alleged malfeasance, maladministration, and politicisation of the commission under the current leadership of the intervention agency as the reason for his call on the anti-graft agencies to investigate the NDDC under Ogbuku.

In his response via a statement on Saturday made available to journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Sunny-Goli described Johnny as a rabble rouser and an attention seeker.

Sunny-Goli, who is chieftain of the APC in Bayelsa State, said Johnny’s views clearly contradicted those of the good people of the Niger Delta region.

The former lawmaker’s statement reads in part: “For the first time, the people of the Niger Delta region are feeling the impact of the intervention agency through its people-centred initiatives, programmes, and policies.

“We have never had it this good as a people, as can be seen in the sense of belonging every well-meaning stakeholder has been accorded through the open-door policy of the Ogbuku-led NDDC.

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“The NDDC under Ogbuku is intentional in facilitating the rapid and sustainable development of the region and has shown unwavering commitment in this regard. As we can all attest to, the commission under Ogbuku is creating economic prosperity, social stability, ecological regeneration, and political peace in the region, which are the core mandate of the commission.

“Look at the Youth Internship Scheme, for instance. It is a strategic initiative launched to support the professional growth and employability of Niger Delta youths. The programme aims to select 10,000 beneficiaries in its first phase, who will participate in a 12-month internship, to give them experiential learning opportunities that will enhance their personal development and industry, as well as add value to the region.

“The medical outreaches embarked upon by the commission have been well received across the Niger Delta, as thousands have been provided with free medical services, including surgeries where needed.

“The NDDC under Ogbuku has delivered a lot of projects across the nine states of the Niger Delta, focusing on enhancing infrastructure, healthcare access, and agricultural development.

“The commission’s commitment to empowering communities through education, skills training, and job creation is evident under Dr. Ogbuku’s leadership.”

The  Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has begun a process of fulfilling its promise to empower 10,000 youths with N50,000 monthly stipends each and skills.

The commission on Tuesday formally launched the Youth Internship Scheme portal to kickstart the programme.

Speaking at the unveiling of the portal, the Chairman, NDDC Governing Board, Chiedu Ebie, said the initiative would transform lives of beneficiaries.

It was learnt that the scheme, designed as a free online programme, sought to address the pressing issues of lack of education and skill among youths in the Niger Delta.

Ebie stressed that the programme was designed to provide a stipend during the internship period, enabling participants to learn skills.and become self-sufficient.

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He said every applicant would register online to eliminate intermediaries adding that age limit of 45 years was set for it to allow for only  legitimate beneficiaries. 

He said the registration process was also designed to cater for people with special needs.

He said: “There is an age limit, we are not going to take pensioners and they will come and hide under the youth scheme. If you are over 45 years please, do not apply. I beg of you. Because you are not too far from retirement age. 

“Leave it for the youths that will still have at least two or three decades of work life and active life. When you do that, you will be denying legitimate beneficiaries the opportunity to get on the programme.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director and CEO of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, warned would-be beneficiaries to conduct themselves properly or face expulsion. 

He emphasised that quarterly reports would be used to assess participants’ behavior adding that any misconduct would lead to removal from the scheme.

He said: “We want the youths to take advantage of this. For those who are going to successful in the selection, wherever you are being sent to, try and also be a good ambassador of the Niger Delta youths by making yourself of being of good conduct.

“This because your conduct is the only guarantee that can sustain you in this scheme. You are being taken does not mean it is employment.  Because we have a consultant who is the lead consultant and nine other consultants who are also going to take care of every state. 

“These consultants are going to be writing quarterly reports and in this reports if you are indicted not to be of good conduct, you would be taken out of the scheme. So you should understand that the guarantee of you being on the scheme is in your hands, in your conducts or else you have yourself to blame. 

“Coming to today’s event, this is the official launch of the NDDC Internship Scheme where we are going to empower 10,000 youths in the Niger Delta,  engaging them in various internships, ranging from Technology,  automobile, craftsmanship, Community Service, Finance, Sports, Medical,  Maritime Agriculture, and  Arts”. 

Ogbuku highlighted the transparency of the online process, saying it would ensure equal distribution of benefits among states, based on crude oil production quota. 

He said: Each state will have a flat rate of 500 participants before production quota and distribution are considered.

“The selection process will be done based on eventuality of states and quota of production. Because that has been the standard of which NDDC uses in distributing its benefits. 

“That is to say, it does not matter because the MD is from Bayelsa State, that does mean that Bayelsa will have more than Dalta State that has more in terms of crude oil production.  But we will still use equality of states, and we tagged it at 500, that means every state will have 500 flat rate before we will to production quota and distribution.” 

Ogbuku, however, assured participants that the database was robust, with six servers to prevent portal crashes. 

He said: “I want to assure you that the database, we have tested it, and it is very strong. It has six servers and they are strong that even with the pressure the portal is having right now, in anticipation of the pressure,  the six servers will be a backup and the portal will not crash. Be rest assured that we are fully prepared for this scheme.

“We are going to ensure to engage other agencies of government that are relevant to such programmes to partner with them to ensure that whatever our quota is, we must get.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has celebrated 11 beneficiaries of its 2023/2024 Post Graduate Scholarship Programme, who graduated with distinctions from the Coventry University in the United Kingdom.

The NDDC managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, led a delegation of the commission to rejoice with the students during their graduation.

In Ogbuku’s delegation were the Senate Committee Chairman on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong; the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye; the Director of Education Health and Social Services, Dr George, Uzonwanne; the Director of Legal Services, Dr Steve Ighomuaye and the Director Education, Mrs. Idara Akpabio.

Ogbuku in a statement signed by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said the achievement was a demonstration of the commission’s commitment to the scholarship scheme and a celebration of academic excellence.

He said the commission was serious with its human capital development programmes, noting that education was the most powerful weapon for changing the fortunes of the Niger Delta region.

He said: “I am very happy to be in Coventry to celebrate our scholars. Their outstanding performance confirms the transparent process through which the beneficiaries were selected. It is remarkable that 11 of the students graduated with distinction in Coventry University.”

In his remarks, NDDC Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, said that the scholars had justified their inclusion in the programme.

He noted that the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme, which was started in 2010, was meant to equip Niger Delta youths with advanced training and skills.

Iyaye said that the NDDC was pursuing improved investments in the educational sector as part of plans to ensure that the youths were gainfully employed. 

The statement quoted the Senate Committee Chairman on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong as saying:  “This ceremony is especially unique, as all 200 of the scholars from the 2023 programme performed exceedingly well with 11 students from the batch earning a distinction and coming top of their various programmes.

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“This is a testament to the recent review of the selection process of beneficiaries of the programme which is transparent and merit-based. I commended the NDDC Board and Management for sustaining the scholarship scheme.

 “Last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched the Education Loan Fund and at that occasion, he remarked that education is the greatest weapon to be used to fight poverty. I couldn’t agree more.

“Today, the NDDC sponsors 200 graduates annually to foreign universities for postgraduate studies. This gives them the opportunity to study with the best minds across the globe and the experiences they gather will help us to develop the Niger Delta region.”

• Threaten to sue IOCs for non-remittance of dues

The Niger Delta Indigenous Contractors Association (NDICA) has sent an appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to hasten project execution in the region.

The contractors also threatened to drag International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the region to court for failing to remit their three per cent dues to the commission for more than five years.

They decried the situation saying the attitude of the IOCs had retarded implementation of projects to facilitate the Niger Delta development.

The contractors in a statement they issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the weekend said there was an urgent need for President Tinubu to exempt NDDC from the TSA.

Darlington applauded Tinubu for appointing technocrats and people of good character to serve on the board of the commission.

The contractors said: “It is through their leadership that Niger Delta has seen positive developments and progress within the region.

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“While we reflect on the outcomes of the summit, it is evident that there is still much work to be done to address the challenges facing the Niger Delta region.

“In this regard, we call on Mr. President to consider exempting the NDDC from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system. Such an exemption would enable the NDDC to operate more efficiently and effectively, thereby enhancing its performance and impact on the region.”

Darlington urged the NDDC to prioritise payment of contractors, award of signature projects of high importance to the region, mobilisation of contractors for timely execution of vital projects.

He insisted that such priorities were essential for the sustainable development and prosperity of the Niger Delta region.

He expressed gratitude to the critical stakeholders, who graced the just-concluded NDDC Summit with their presence, especially former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President, Godswll Akpabio and governors of the Niger Delta states among other key dignitaries.

Also a prominent member of NDICA, Kelvin Gigi, urged the IOCs and the Ecological Funds to remit their contributions and monies due to the NDDC promptly.

He said the funds were essential for the NDDC to carry out its mandate and implement crucial projects that would benefit the people of the Niger Delta region.

House of Representatives yesterday approved N1.9 trillion budget for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Of the sum, N38,545,349,193 is earmarked for personal expenditure while N29,246,506,753 is for overhead.

Internal capital expenditure will receive N8,785,574,130; while N835,222,569,924 will be spent on development projects.

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The remaining N1trillion is for legacy projects funded by borrowing for the year ending April 30, 2025.

The report of the Committee on NDDC, presented by Erhiatake Ibori–Suenu, was considered and approved.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 9, began the consideration of the 2024 budget of three Nigeria Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of N1.911 trillion.

Speaking at the commencement of three budget defence, the managing director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission plans to source the money for the budget by borrowing N1 trillion from commercial and development banks in the country.

The commission also expects N170 billion as arrears owed it by the federal government and recoveries by government agencies, a federal government statutory contribution of N324.8 billion, an ecological fund of N25 billion, an oil company contribution of N375 billion, and an IGR of N1 billion.

He disclosed that the commission planned to find its legacy projects with the N1 trillion to be borrowed from the banks, while about N835. 222 billion will be spent on other development projects.

Ogboku said the commission is conscious of the fact that investing in critical infrastructure is a key component of the fiscal strategy under the budget, adding that the management is reinventing its process of intervention by adopting a public-private partnership model as a vehicle to drive sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.

In line with this, he said, the commission has developed a partnership with the Industrial Training Fund to gainfully engage the youth of the region to reduce crime and economic sabotage.

Giving an insight into the performance of the commission since the assumptions of the office of the current board, Ogboku said the operation light up the Niger Delta region has seen a reasonable number of communities being lit up using solar-powered street lights which has boosted the economic activities of the communities.

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He said further that through its free medical. Mission, the commission has provided health solutions to over two million Niger Deltans across communities in the Region and remains committed to working with relevant stakeholders to improve healthcare and all other critical sectors that impact positively on the overall development of the health and wellness of the people of the Region.

He said the commission awarded foreign scholarships to 750 individuals between 2023-2024 (for 2022, 2023 & 2024 years) and provided educational grants to 84 individuals, and is in the process of distributing 45,000 Ulesson tablets preloaded with Nigerian and WAEC syllabi to schools in the 9 States in the Niger Delta region.

He said further that the commission was redefining the standards of governance and effectiveness in driving positive change in the region, commissioning over 5 flagship projects within 10 days.

He examined that in response to the frequent flooding challenges faced by Niger Deltans, the commission embarked on the clearing of waterways to page way for easy flow of water during heavy downpour as well as the construction of multipurpose emergency shelters with the capacity to accommodate 1000 persons.

He said the aggregate revenue of the commission in 2023 was N876 Billion naira was projected to fund the 2023 Budget “Budget of Rewind to Rebirth.”

This comprises Overhead costs of N174 Billion, personnel costs of N34.2, Internal Capital costs of N3.7 Billion, and Capital costs of 820.5 Billion.

On the 2023 budget, he said as of April 30th, 2024, the Commission’s actual aggregate revenue inflow was N683.2 Billion naira, approximately 78 percent of the targeted N876 Billion naira, comprising N146.4 billion representing (122%) from the federal government and N394 billion representing (141%) from Oil & Gas Companies.

The chairman of the House Committee, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu said the budget was crucial to the success of the Commission, stressing that the House will carry out a diligent consideration of the presentation, scrutinizing every detail.

She said the NDDC has brought remarkable development to the Niger Delta region, stressing that the partnership with state government in the region has continued to bring tremendous improvement to the region.