Tag: NDDC

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has completed and connected the 132/33kv electricity sub-station it built at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State to the national grid.

Speaking during an inspection of the project, NDDC’s Executive Director, Projects, Sir. Victor Antai described the power station as a legacy project that would boost economic activities in Ondo State and improve the living standards of the benefiting communities.

Antai, in a statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, said that the commission was committed to providing electricity to oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District that had been without power for the past 15 years.

He said the sub-station would be inaugurated this month.

Antai said: “The power sub-station is a legacy project which is in line with the directive of our Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to see to the completion and commissioning of legacy projects that will make a meaningful impact on the lives of our people.

“The MD/CEO has also directed that we replicate this legacy project across all states in the Niger Delta and we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the NDDC a performing Governing Board that has the interest of the people at heart.

Read Also: NDDC connects sub-station to power five Ondo councils

“We are committed to lighting up all the local government areas and the oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District.

“This is part of NDDC’s mandate to provide infrastructure and development projects in the Niger Delta region. The Commission is committed to fulfilling this mandate by completing all on-going projects.”

Antai said that the power sub-station would provide electricity to over 2,000 communities across five local government areas within the oil-producing region of Ondo State, significantly impacting lives by ending decades of darkness.

Antai noted that the NDDC had awarded a contract for the total rehabilitation of the distribution network because it was eager to hook up the power lines to the injection sub-station and enable the benefiting communities to enjoy electricity from the national grid.

Speaking for the contracting firm, Benson Obayelu,  said that the scope of the power project covered the evacuation of light from Omotosho with a step down at Ode-Erinje, Okitipupa, through a 132KV double circuit transmission line with two 30/40MVA transformers.

He said:  “The transmission lines run through Ireje with 145 electricity towers that are standing on concrete foundations.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has completed and connected the 132/33kv electricity sub-station it built at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State to the national grid.

Speaking during an inspection of the project, NDDC’s Executive Director,Projects, Sir. Victor Antai, described the power station as a legacy project that would boost economic activities in Ondo State and improve the living standards of the benefitting communities.

Antai, in a statement by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, said that the commission was committed to providing electricity to oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District that had been without power for the past 15 years.

He said the sub-station would be inaugurated this month.

Antai said: “The power sub-station is a legacy project which is in line with the directive of our Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to see to the completion and commissioning of legacy projects that will make meaningful impact on the lives of our people.

“The MD/CEO has also directed that we replicate this legacy project across all states in the Niger Delta and we thank the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the NDDC a performing Governing Board that has the interest of the people at heart.

“We are committed to lighting up all the local government areas and the oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District.

“This is part of NDDC’s mandate to provide infrastructure and development projects in the Niger Delta region. The Commission is committed to fulfilling this mandate by completing all on-going projects.”

Antai said that the power sub-station would provide electricity to over 2,000 communities across five local government areas within the oil-producing region of Ondo State, significantly impacting lives by ending decades of darkness.

Antai noted that the NDDC had awarded a contract for the total rehabilitation of the distribution network because it was eager to hook up the power lines to the injection sub-station and enable the benefiting communities to enjoy electricity from the national grid.

Speaking for the contracting firm, Benson Obayelu, said that the scope of the power project covered the evacuation of light from Omotosho with a step down at Ode-Erinje, Okitipupa, through a 132KV double circuit transmission line with two 30/40MVA transformers.

He said: “The transmission lines run through Ireje with 145 electricity towers that are standing on concrete foundations.”

He said that the scope covered the evacuation of light from Omotosho with a step down at Ireje through a 132KV double circuit line with two 30/40MVA transformers at Okitipupa.

He observed that five local government areas in the Southern Senatorial district of Ondo State that have been without public power supply would be connected when the project was completed.

Read Also: ‘NDDC, others need fair funding to excel’

In his remarks, the Acting National Chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, Dr. Obafemi Ogbaro, said that in Ondo South Senatorial District, nothing mattered more than being connected to the national grid of the country, lamenting that his people had been in darkness for many years.

The Ondo State Representative on the NDDC Board, Hon. Otito Atikase, observed that many communities across five local government areas in the oil production belt of Ondo state were eagerly waiting for the light to be turned on in their localities.

He said that access to electricity was essential for economic development and improving the quality of life of the people, noting that lack of electricity had hindered growth and development in many communities in the Niger Delta region.

Atikase said: “NDDC’s efforts to provide electricity to these communities will have a significant impact on their lives and contribute to the overall development of the region”.

A lawyer,  Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other public entities should be well funded to enable them compete with their counterparts in the private sector for optimal performance.

He called on National Assembly to amend NDDC Establishment Act, noting the commission’s Act is replete with lacuna and controversies, hence the need for an amendment.

Adegboruwa, who gave the advice in his keynote address at a  retreat for NDDC’s Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) in Lagos, said funding, such as paying wages commensurate and competitive with the private sector will enhance their performances.

Read Also: Otti begs NDDC minister to mobilise contractors to sites

He said: “From experience, when people in the public sector are encouraged, funded and remunerated, they perform better than those in the private sector. That’s why I cited Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, an agency powered by the police.

 “But because they were exposed to training and specialised handling of equipment, they become like special people, different from their colleagues in police stations and barracks,” he said.

On amendment of NDDC Act, he said: “… we want to know if appointment into NDDC board should be restricted to indigenes of oil-producing areas or whether non-indigenes are also entitled.

The managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, has described President Bola Tinubu as a leader who has the interest of the people at heart.

Ogbuku’s commendation of Tinubu followed a presidential directive ordering a quick intervention in what is considered to be one of the worst ecological disasters in the Niger Delta occasioned by a devastating ocean surge in the Sangana community of Brass local government area of Bayelsa state.

The NDDC’s boss, accompanied by the Executive Director (Projects), Sir Victor Antai, and other relevant directors of the commission, visited the community for an on-the-spot assessment of the level of devastation and donated relief materials for the immediate needs of the people who were displaced by the ocean surge.

According to Ogbuku, President Tinubu is happy with the people of the community because of its economic importance and the sustained peace over the years which created the enabling environment for oil exploration and exploitation activities.

He said: “Before your letter of appeal arrived at our head office in Port Harcourt, the ocean surge in Sangana was already publicized in the media. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria saw it and directed that we must go and see what is happening in Sagana and give him feedback.

“I felt elated at the Presidential directive which indicated that the country has a very responsible President who is interested in the welfare of the people, no matter how far they are.

“My presence in your community, apart from being a son of the soil, is in response to Mr. President’s directive and having witnessed first-hand the devastation in your community, we will proceed immediately to see how we can salvage the situation.”

While urging the people of Sangana community to continue to maintain the peace to attract development, he assured them that the NDDC was going to use the best modern technology to tackle the Sangana erosion scourge.

Ogbuku noted: “We had earlier awarded the contract for shore protection in your community, but we are going to review it.

“The whole idea in the NDDC is that we are also looking at new technology such as Geotube system. The system is also used in rebuilding and reclaiming the land naturally.”

He also used the opportunity to call on the multinational oil companies operating in the area to join hands in addressing the persistent ocean surge in the communities around the area as NDDC could not afford to do it all alone.

Ogbuku further said: “Having ascertained the situation on the ground, we will go back and put the papers together and also see how we can partner with the state government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to see how we can all come together to ensure that we protect our communities.”

The chairman of the Sangana Council of Traditional Rulers, King Moses Theophilus, Kenibara VII, Amadabo of Moko-Ama Sangana, thanked President Tinubu for the love showered on the people of the Sangana community.

Read Also: NDDC pledges to support military sustain Niger Delta peace

He also thanked Mr. President for appointing their son from Bayelsa state as the managing director of NDDC.

He assured the federal government that the people of the community would continue to maintain peace and cooperation with the government for the development of the country.

A former chairman of Brass local government area and a community leader, Hon. Bello Bina, thanked Ogbuku for personally finding time to visit the community.

He said the people of Sangana were overwhelmed with the presentation of the relief materials which are worth hundreds of millions of Naira.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has pledged to assist the military including the Nigerian Navy operating in the Niger Delta region to sustain the peace in the region.

The NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, spoke during a courtesy visit by the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sahid Akinwande and the Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt.

The NDDC boss stressed the need for collaboration to ensure that the Niger Delta region remained peaceful, noting that development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.

Ogbuku in a statement signed by the commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, highlighted the contributions of the military to sustain peace in the Niger Delta and appealed for more professionalism in tackling insecurity in the region.

He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very committed to the peace and development of the Niger Delta region and he has given us a matching order to embark on legacy projects that will stand the test of time and impact lives in the region. We cannot achieve this if there is no peace.

“For us in NDDC, we are ready to collaborate with the security agencies to ensure that there is sustainable peace that will usher in development. The security forces have made so much sacrifices to ensure the safety of the region and we will complement their efforts by executing legacy projects.

Read Also: No quality jobs, no payment, NDDC tells contractors

“We have always supported military formations and security agencies and we are willing to do more. Last year, we did a lot for the Nigerian Navy. Our contributions are aimed at enhancing and supporting what you are doing here in the region and also to enhance what we are doing in the area of development.

“I appreciate the security agencies for the job they are doing in the Niger Delta region because the region is relatively peaceful compared to other regions in the country. I thank the Navy for doing a good job and making sacrifices for our collective well-being.”

Speaking earlier, Akinwande expressed appreciation of the Nigerian Navy to the NDDC for the support given them over the years.

He said: “It is customary that when a new Flag Officer takes command, he pays a courtesy visit to stakeholders of the region. We appreciate the support given to the Nigerian Navy so far and we seek your continuous assistance and collaboration as we are ready to partner and cooperate with you in making our maritime environment safe and secured for our people.”

Akinwande said that the Navy would continue to discharge its duties to the country, including maintaining peace in the Niger Delta region, which he affirmed was necessary for sustainable development.

He urged the NDDC management to continue to support security forces in the region and promised to sustain the cordial relationship between the Navy and the Commission.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has partnered with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) to ensure food security in the region.

The NDDC managing director, Samuel Ogbuku, spoke during a strategic meeting between the commission and a delegation from the farmers’ association led by the deputy national president of RIFAN, Victor Korede, at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

A statement signed by the NDDC director of corporate affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, said Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC executive director of projects, Victor Antai noted that the commission was ready to partner with RIFAN to develop agriculture in the region, especially in the area of rice cultivation.

He said: “With the new drive in NDDC, we are ready to go into partnership with RIFAN. We have two rice mills in Elele-Alimi, Rivers State and Mbiabet-Ikpe, Akwa Ibom State. We are interested in the smart agriculture approach of the farmers’ association.

“The NDDC Managing Director is determined to execute legacy projects which will impact positively and directly on the people of the region.

“In fulfilling the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the NDDC introduced a pet programme, known as Holistic Opportunities, Projects and Engagement, HOPE, which has agriculture as one of its key components.

“The Project HOPE initiative seeks to engage youths of the region by creating employment opportunities for them. We have collated the data of the youths in the region and so many of them are interested in agriculture. The NDDC is resolute in the quest to provide food security in the Niger Delta region and we need to engage the youths in agriculture to achieve this goal.”

Read Also: Ningi’s suspension: What I would have done if I was presiding officer – Abaribe

Ogbuku observed that the Niger Delta region was endowed with the right ingredients for rice growing.

He said: “The Niger Delta region, due to the arable wetlands, rainfalls and other ecological factors in its favour, provides the window to plant rice at least, twice within a farming season. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to engage the rice farmers meaningfully as they have shown a strong desire to grow more rice.

“We are trying to move away from the oil economy and the sector which can accommodate our youths in large numbers is the agricultural sector. We also want to move from subsistent agriculture to mechanized farming in order to harness all the opportunities that the Niger Delta region has to offer.”

RIFAN’s vice-president, south-south, Mr. Emmanuel Anoh, said the association was set to demonstrate that local production of food in sufficient quantity was possible in the country.

He said: “We are here to discuss partnership with the NDDC on how best the region can feed Nigeria and contribute to the President’s agenda of self-sufficiency in food production. Rice is a global staple crop eaten by every home at least, thrice a week.

“The Niger Delta Region has a comparative advantage in rice production, in comparison to other regions. With the massive arable land, favourable rainfalls and other ecological factors that can boost rice production in the country, Niger Delta is the best choice.”

Anoh said that the NDDC was known for its timely interventions and empowerment and the rice farmers association thought it wise to collaborate with the commission to work towards ensuring food security and creating employment for the youths.

The NDDC executive director of projects later led members of the rice farmers association to inspect the 180 tonnes per day Rice Mill at Elele Alimini in Emohua local government area of rivers state.

He said: “Following the directive of our Managing Director, we have been asked to get this rice mill working again, starting from rice cultivation, mill processing and packaging.”