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Tag: NDDC

  • ‘Disregard calls for NDDC dissolution’

    ‘Disregard calls for NDDC dissolution’

    Urhobo youths, under the auspices of the Urhobo National Youth Council (UNYC), have urged the Federal Government to disregard calls for the dissolution of the Nsima Ekere-led Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board.

    UNYC Youth Leader Monday Oyeghe told reporters in Asaba, the Delta State capital, that needless protests, agitations and media showmanship cannot override the dictates of the enabling law that established the interventionist agency.

    He said: “I mean, it smirks of needless politics and activism aimed only at distracting a lawful board, whose tenure is clearly provided for in the NDDC Act.”

    Oyeghe, who is an All Progressives Congress (APC) youth leader in Delta State, noted that it would amount to an affront on the Change Agenda of the present APC-led administration for some groups to threaten violence and unrest, if their “politicised” demands were not met.

    He said: “We are confident that Mr President cannot be swayed by these pockets of politicised demands and agitations, as against what the law provides.

    “The Nsima Ekere-led Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board is a full-fledged board with a tenure of four years, as provided by the NDDC Act. No amount of politics or media showmanship can rewrite the clear provisions of the NDDC Act

    UNYC urged other law-abiding youths in the Niger Delta region to continue to support the current NDDC board to enable it deliver on its mandate.

    It also advised the region’s youths to shun those it called merchants of violence, “who want to use them to achieve their selfish ends” by throwing the peaceful region into another round of violence.

  • NDDC crisis: Group seeks Buhari ’s intervention

    NDDC crisis: Group seeks Buhari ’s intervention

    A group, the Centre For Justice And Fairness In Niger Delta (CFJFIND), Ondo State, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to extend the tenure of the current board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

    Its Chairman, Mr Alex Kalajaye, made the call at a press briefing in Akure on Friday.

    The tenure of the current board members of NDDC is to end this December.

    Kalajaye said that it was the turn of another state, not Akwa Ibom, to produce the next NDDC Managing Director after the expiration of the tenure of the current board on Dec. 8.

    “No state should be denied its rights to occupy the offices assigned to it by the NDDC Act. Those making such dangerous moves should be wary of their actions,” he said.

    According to him, the commission comprises of nine member states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Abia, Cross-River and Rivers, while the management positions is rotational among member states.

    “It is on record that since the establishment of the commission over 17 years ago, only four states have rotated the top three management positions among themselves – they are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.

    “There is nothing in the NDDC Act, 2000 that provides special attention for the four big states.The phrase four big states is the invention of some cabals in the NDDC to oppress the other five states.

    “The Federal Government should not give in to this surreptitious manipulation or modification of the NNDC Act.

    “None of the states in the NDDC is inferior to the other states.

    “While some states may have higher production quantum, this does not in any way imply that the right due to the other states must be trampled up on.”

    He said that there should be equality of states in the sharing of the three top management positions in the commission.

    “As at now, it is the turn of Ondo State to produce the next managing director of the NDDC.

    “This is so because Ondo State is the 5th highest oil producing state in NDDC.

    “Since all the states that have higher production of oil than Ondo State have produced the managing director at one time or the other, it follows that the provision of Section 12(1) supra, Ondo State must of necessity produce the managing director for the next board to be constituted.

    “This is the way it should go if the inequity in the NDDC is to be corrected,” he said.

  • ‘NDDC relocates to permanent headquarters next year’

    ‘NDDC relocates to permanent headquarters next year’

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will relocate from its temporary head office on Aba Road to its permanent headquarters under construction, at Eastern bye-pass in Port Harcourt, next year.

    The Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere, who announced this during the 17th anniversary and annual thanksgiving service of the commission at the Dappa Biriye corporate headquarters, assured workers that the 2018 event will take place at the new office.

    He said the 12-floor head office complex was one of the legacies the present NDDC board and management would leave at the end of its tenure.

    Ekere hailed the approval of funds by the Federal Executive Council for the completion of the project, which he regretted suffered delays since it was started by the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1994.

    He said: “We must sustain the thanksgiving service because we have many things we need to be thankful to God.”

    Ekere said efforts were being made to build human capital in the region, adding: “We have signed agreements that will help us achieve this.”

    The chief executive officer noted that in the last one year, the commission had entered into partnerships, including the one with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), to provide employment for youths.

    He said NDDC signed a tripartite agreement for the establishment of the first ever enterprise innovation and growth hub in Nigeria, adding that it was partnering SMEDAN and Builders Hub Impact Investment Programme (BHIIP) for this purpose.

    According to him, “this is a new approach to address the need to train our youths. We want to turn them into entrepreneurs, who will create jobs and help in checking restiveness in Niger Delta.

    “It is important that we do things that are sustainable. Thus, we will not relent in taking measures that will create job opportunities for our youths. Coming to protest at the gates of NDDC is no longer profitable, as we are sticking with the policy of not negotiating with agitators, especially those that are sponsored. We need to discourage hooliganism and rascality.”

  • He has dedicated his life to service of Nigeria, says NDDC boss

    He has dedicated his life to service of Nigeria, says NDDC boss

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been lauded for dedicating his life to the service of Nigeria.

    In a birthday message to mark Buhari’s 75th birthday, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Nsima Ekere said: “As an officer and gentleman, as military head of state and now as democratically elected President,” his life has been one of remarkable sacrifice and dedication to helping build a great nation.

    “Today, I join millions of Nigerians, friends and family, as well as well-wishers all over the world to felicitate with – and celebrate – President Muhammadu Buhari on his 75th birthday,” Ekere said in a series of Twitter messages.

    Ekere, in a statement by Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Ibitoye Abosede, added: “Over the years, we have been privileged to witness his commitment to building a great nation, driven by patriotic zeal and vision and ennobled by humility, discipline, as well as a deep sense of duty, honour and integrity.

    “The milestones of great men inspire us all to always aspire to do great deeds, so that we may graft our names on the obelisk of time. President Buhari’s life and life’s work remain an inspiration to us all.”

  • House urges payment of debts owed NDDC

    House urges payment of debts owed NDDC

    The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has appealed to the Federal Government to pay all outstanding debts to the Commission within a reasonable time.

    Chairman of the Committee, Hon Nicholas Mutu, made the appeal on Tuesday when he led his colleagues to NDDC Managing Director Nsima Ekere, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

    He told the NDDC Chief Executive Officer, that the Committee’s visit was part of its oversight function to inspect project sites, look at the books of the Commission and evaluate its performance.

    He re-stated the Committee’s displeasure with the debts owed the NDDC by the Federal Government and other agencies that contribute to its funding and called for a change of attitude. He said: “In future, we expect that all statutory obligations to the NDDC would be paid as and when due. The delay in the release of funds has created a situation whereby the Commission is unable to meet its financial obligations to contractors and stakeholders.

    Hon Mutu advised the NDDC to set up a mechanism to leverage resources outside the statutory sources of funds by working out partnerships and joint venture arrangements.

    To address the challenge of high rate of project abandonment, which according to him was put at over 3,000, the committee had directed the NDDC to commence the immediate audit of performing and non-performing projects “with a view to determine non-performing contracts and give impetus to NDDC to put in place a mechanism that will help it to mitigate the abandoned project syndrome currently bedeviling the region.”

    He added: “Going forward, the NDDC should award contracts to only contractors with capacity and focus more on completing on-going projects as an additional measure to mitigate contract failure and enhance value added service to the Niger Delta region.”

    The Committee Chairman charged the NDDC to commit 50 per cent of its funds to completing existing projects while devoting 30 per cent to new projects. “Other available funds should be used to pay contractors with outstanding Interim Payment Certificates, IPCs, to facilitate the completion of existing projects,” he said.

    Ekere commended the committees of both chambers of the National Assembly for being supportive. “They have given us the backings that will enable us deliver on the mandate that we were given by the President and the people of the Niger Delta region.”.

    The MD said the NDDC under him, articulated a new a reform strategy christened the 4-R initiative. He stated: “We articulated the 4-R initiative to add value to the process of the NDDC. The new initiative will structure our processes and make them transparent. It involves restructuring the balance sheet, reforming the governance protocols, restoring the Commission’s core mandate and reaffirming its commitment to doing what is right and proper.”

    Accordingly, he said:  “We agreed that to move forward, we   must find a way to restructure the balance sheet of NDDC and that has led to the cancellation of the  first 633 projects worth about 20 billion naira and then a further cancellation of 432 projects worth a little over 90 billion last week.”

  • Updated: 30 contractors to face EFCC over East- West Road project

    Updated: 30 contractors to face EFCC over East- West Road project

    … FEC approves N16bn for NDDC building

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, said on Wednesday that over 30 contractors would soon face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) over the East -West Road project and other contracts in the country.

    He also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N16 billion for the completion of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) building.

    The minister disclosed these in a chat with State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said the present administration is doing everything possible to put the East- West Road project on track.

    Usani said: “The East- West Road is a project that has been messed up from inception. It was naturally designed to fail by all the agreements and designed concepts that we have seen. And here we are making sure that we put things in order so that we can see the terminal point of that project.

    “The project started more than a decade ago and in 24 months we have made the progress we have made on that project, correcting even the construction deficits in the area, then I think you should be able to appreciate what we are doing.”

    On the NDDC building, the minister said it would be wise to complete the building instead of spending N2 billion rent yearly.

     

     

  • Group drums up support for NDDC

    A group under the aegis of Youth Initiative for Education, Development and Empowerment of Niger Delta has backed the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The group called for more development projects for the region through the NDDC.

    ItsPresident  Agbonkpolor Splendor, at a briefing in Abuja, urged the NDDC not to be deterred in carrying out its mandate.

    Splendor said the era of siphoning monies through phony contracts that were not implemented by contractors were over.

    He said notable sons of the region had in the past employed unholy tactics and unpatriotic acts capable of hindering the renewed growth and development of the Niger Delta.

    . Splendor praised the current board under the leadership of its Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, and Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN).

    ”Any individual or group of individuals out of desperation continue to stoke the ember of conflict and pandering falsehood over the tenure of present board of the NDDC is unhelpful and begs the question on the real issues of development in the region,” he said.

    He said the country must consider performance of individuals if it hopes to develop.

    ”If Nigeria must develop, we must begin to focus on the weightier issue of performance rather than pursuing personal interests under the cover of legal technicalities.

    ”It is our assessment that the current board which inherited humongous amount of debt from its predecessors has done well in mapping out a clear strategy for all verified projects to be restarted to keep the youth of the region engaged, empowered and away from the agitations that have characterized the Niger Delta in recent years,” he said.

     

  • NDDC ‘ll focus on big projects, says Ekere

    NDDC ‘ll focus on big projects, says Ekere

    Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Nsima Ekere has said the Commission will pay more attention to big ticket projects to boost regional integration and development.

    Ekere, who spoke during a Good Morning Nigeria, a Programme on NTA International assured that NDDC would continue to focus on massive regional projects that would positively impact the Niger Delta region.

    He explained that NDDC had identified some of the key projects to be executed in collaboration with state governments. One of such projects, he said was the Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos Road, meant to link the Maritime University at Okerenkoko and other coastal communities in the State.

    In a similar vein, he said: “We have signed a pact with the Ondo State Government for the construction of the 50-kilometre Akodo-Araromi/Ibeju-Lekki road. This strategic road will reduce the journey to Lagos from Ondo by forty- five minutes.”

    To strengthen collaboration with state governments, Ekere said that NDDC had revived the Partners for Sustainable Development, PSD, Forum, to serve as a clearing house for projects. He added that the Commission had set up budget committees in the states. “This is the first time this is happening in NDDC,” he observed.

    The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said that over the years, the Commission had done a lot in the area of infrastructural development.  He said that this was not enough because, according to him, “we also want to build human capital. We have signed collaboration agreements that will help us to achieve this.”

    Ekere stated that the Commission recently entered into a partnership with the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, NEXIM, to set up a N5 billion development fund, where both parties would contribute N2.5 billion each. “This we will use to accelerate SMEs and Agricultural development in the region,” he said.

    “The partnership with NEXIM Bank is meant to develop the agricultural sector by boosting the entire value chain from training to planting, processing and provision of funds for setting up agricultural enterprises. We want to create an export initiative in the agricultural sector to create jobs and help the nation’s economy.”

    Ekere said that the NDDC was also partnering with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN to help provide employment for the youths, stating: “We want to turn the youths to entrepreneurs. That is the way we can reduce unemployment.”

     

  • ‘NDDC board’s tenure expired November 1

    ‘NDDC board’s tenure expired November 1

    The appointment letter issued to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), chaired by a former Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, shows that its tenure ended November 1.

    The letter, which emanated from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), confirmed that Nsima Udo Ekere’s tenure as managing director and chief executive had also elapsed.

    The appointment letter, dated November 1, 2016, with Ref. No: SGF.55/S.2/C.3/IV/52, was signed by former SGF, Babachir David Lawal.

    The letter reads: “I am pleased to inform you that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has approved your appointment as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    “The appointment takes effect from November 1, 2016, and you are to serve out the remainder of the term of office of your predecessor, in line with Section 5(2) of the Act…”

  • Group calls for NDDC’s dissolution

    Group calls for NDDC’s dissolution

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to dissolve the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for alleged failure to carry out the its mandate. It admonished the Niger Delta Avengers who threatened to resume hostilities to have a change of focus and pursue peace.

    The group, ‘Pandleaf’, said the headship of the commission was rotatory, pointing out that the tenure of the board would end in December and any attempt to reappoint or renew their tenure would be resisted.

    In a statement by its National President, Richard Akinaka; Secretary, Ubok-Obong Umoh and Spokesman, Comrade Success Jack, the group decried the failure of political leaders in the Niger Delta to work cohesively for development and pressed for pursuit of common interest by all stakeholders.

    It reads: “We vehemently reject the recent tenure renewal for the current board of the NDDC since it constitutes a conventional aberration, highly insensitive, very inciting and capable of breaching the peace currently enjoyed in the region.  We hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari to dissolve the current board and reconstitute a new one with respect to rotational consideration at the end of the current tenure in December 2017. It should be made clear that would stop at nothing to fiercely and firmly resist this anomaly, if not reversed.

    “We condemn in totality the unhealthy political rivalry between political leaders in our States; it has reached alarming and embarrassing levels which has adversely affected us as a region. We urge them to redirect this energy and focus to form synergies in advancing a common regional political, economic and social agenda. They should not forget in a hurry that their actions and inactions today, form the legacies for which posterity would remember them.

    “We also call on State Governments and Federal intervention agencies to take all necessary measures aimed at improving the lives of our people in regards to projects especially on matters incidental to road infrastructures. State governments and federal intervention agencies should embark on road construction irrespective of and without prejudice to whether it is a State or Federal road.