The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NDDC

  • Army chief hails NDDC over infrastructural support

    The General Officer Commanding, GOC 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Maj-Gen. Enobong Okon Udoh, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for supporting the Army in developing infrastructural facilities in the newly established division headquarters in Port Harcourt.

    Maj-Gen. Udoh, who spoke during the ceremony marking the operationalisation of the 6 Division yesterday,  hailed the NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, for demonstrating readiness to cooperate with the military and the 6 Division in the provision of security and the maintenance of peace and order in the Niger Delta.

    The GOC thanked the NDDC for pledging to contribute to the provision of infrastructure in the different barracks in the Niger Delta. He stated that the Commission had awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the four-kilometre road running through the 6 Division headquarters.

    According to him, the Commission also promised to rehabilitation the parade ground, renovate the existing pavilion and erect a new one.

    Major-General Udoh, said that the new division which was established nine months ago, needed support to provide adequate infrastructure for its officers and men as well as support its operations which cover Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states.

    He noted that the establishment of the 6 Division in the army would go a long way in addressing some of the peculiar challenges of the Niger Delta region.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Tukur Buratai, assured that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to invest in the improvement of security across the country, stating that the establishment of new divisions in the army was based on the assessment of the security challenges in the country.

    The Chief of Army Staff noted that the investments in security had contributed immensely in the reduction of crime in the Niger Delta, in particular and the country at large.

    The NDDC recently pledged to partner with the 6 Division on the development of infrastructure at its headquarters in Port-Harcourt. The NDDC Managing Director had told the GOC 6 Division that the commission would work out a plan that covered a five year period.

  • Motorists celebrate as NDDC begins emergency repairs on East West Road

    Motorists celebrate as NDDC begins emergency repairs on East West Road

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has started emergency repairs on some of the failed portions of the East West Road, especially the dilapidated sections between Eleme Junction and the Onne Junction.

    The NDDC Executive Director Projects, Samuel Adjogbe, who inspected the on-going repairs on the road on Friday, was met at various points by excited road users who were visibly happy with what the interventionist agency was doing to ameliorate their sufferings.

    Similar interventions by the NDDC on the Calabar-Itu Road and the Calabar-Ikom Road last year were the saving grace for Cross River State, which was virtually cut off from the rest of the country.

    Engr. Adjogbe said that the emergency intervention was a follow-up to the commitment made recently by the Commission to save the road from total collapse. He recalled that the NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, had assured the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, who visited the Commission on June 16 that contractors would be mobilised to site immediately to carry out the emergency repairs.

    The Executive Director said  the emergency repairs was the only remedy to what he described as a critical situation, adding that the intervention was necessary to save the very busy and important road artery in the Niger Delta.

    Adjogbe said the NDDC had to embark on the urgent repairs to arrest the deterioration of the road and reduce the pains of motorists commuting to Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. He said he was hopeful that the emergency repairs would be completed within 30 days.

    He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the contractor, adding; “We want to encourage local contractors to continue to improve on their capacity to deliver quality projects for the benefit of the people. This is very important to the NDDC and I am pleased that people in this area are happy with what the contractor is doing here.”

    The site engineer for the construction firm, Mr Celestine Egbe, said that because of the nature of the soil in the area, they were excavating several metres of unsuitable materials before filling back with sharp sand. He noted that they had made substantial progress since they mobilised equipment to site one week ago.

    Some motorists were happy with what they had seen so far and appealed to the NDDC not to relent until the job was fully done.

    For Marcus Wisdom, a bus driver, “the NDDC has saved us from the nightmare that we used to go through on this road. In fact, motorists using this road are very happy with the commission. It used to take travellers about four hours to commute from Eleme Junction to Refinery, a journey that should normally take 20 minutes,” he said.

    Christopher Godwin said:  “Drivers that dared to use the road before now ended up in mechanic workshops. We are very happy with NDDC for what they have done in the last few days.”

    Mr. Ogbonna Chukwudi, a welder, was full of praises for the NDDC for “coming to the rescue of road users.” According to him, a few weeks ago, the road between Eleme Junction and Refinery Junction was virtually impassable.

    The NDDC told the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs that it would take over N70 billion to complete the construction of the East-West Road which straddles the six Southsouth states.

  • NTDC partners NDDC on tourism development

    The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General, Mr. Folorunsho Coker, has expressed his commitment to partnering the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and enlisting its intervention on some tourism assets in the Southsouth region.

    Coker, who spoke during a visit to  NDDC Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, in his office in Abuja, said it was necessary to redefine the sector by giving it an identity that is easy to sell  to stimulate growth as well as reposition the industry.

    “There is a need to redefine the tourism sector in Nigeria. We need to start within our domain, focusing on consumption of our assets, promotion and development of domestic tourism, which will have multiple effects on job creation and poverty alleviation while strengthening the GDP and our currency.  Everyone in the value chain of tourism must work together and be ready to drive the market with a new brand TOUR NIGERIA,” he said.

    Coker, who called for an investment in the promotion of domestic tourism, described Nigeria as a  market with a vibrant and dynamic business environment.

    “One of my strategic imperatives is to bring all stakeholders under one umbrella to sell a single all inclusive tour packages for Nigerians. We need to package tourism in a simple manner that the average Nigerian can use, if we don’t package it well, individuals cannot take advantage of it. Nigerian will understand the product better, because they are a most critical audience and will demand better value for their money,” he said.

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba congratulated the DG on his appointment given his exploits in the Lagos State Tourism Ministry.

    “We are very happy that you are at the helms of affairs in NTDC. We are very proud of what you did in Lagos State. You are on a bigger stage now and we expect you to make a difference in the tourism sector as you did in Lagos,” he said.

    Senator Egba said NDDC was an intervention agency, whose core mandate is to integrate and create partnerships with relevant agencies’ like NTDC, especially now that there is a shift from oil.

    He noted that if tourism could change the economy of Calabar, it could also do so in Nigeria. The NDDC mission, according to him, is to facilitate the rapid, ever-growing and sustainable development of Nigeria.

    The NDDC helmsman solicited the support of the DG to intervene in the on-going case with the Calabar National Museum, a national monument and as such cannot be tampered with.

    Senator Egba expressed the willingness of the Commission to work with NTDC in sailing the ship of the tourism sector because of its enormous potentials.

  • Bayelsa seals NDDC, firm over N450m tax debt

    BAYELSA State at the weekend sealed off the office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a firm, Hilong Oil Services and Engineering Company Limited (HOSEC) over tax default amounting to about N450million taxes.

    The NDDC was said to have tax liabilities of N336.17million since 2014 while HOSEC owed N109.5million for about five years.

    The sealing exercise was sequel to an aggressive campaign to increase Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) through enforcement of tax payment.

    The task force of Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) accompanied by armed security operatives drawn from the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) barricaded the premises of the NDDC along the Yenagoa-Mbiama Road on Friday as early as 8am.

    The Director of Compliance, BIR, Robert Lokoson, said the operation was in line with Section 104 of Personal Income Tax (Amendment) 2011 and an ex parte order obtained from the High Court of Bayelsa State.

    He said: ‘’This exercise is part of our efforts to recover tax liabilities from organisations and individuals that are not complying after having obtained the necessary court orders.

    “We are here this morning with a Warrant of Distrain to seal off the property of Niger Delta Development Commission, Yenagoa office, for tax owed the state government to the tune of N336.17m.

    ‘’For the four years, the commission has defaulted in the remittance of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and withholding taxes.

    ‘’Some organisations fail to remit taxes after collecting same from the employees and we have tried over the years after the necessary tax audits to determine the compliance of the remittances or otherwise, yet they have yet to respond.

    ‘’In the case of the NDDC, we have written a lot of letters. About a month ago, we were here on a lighter mood to persuade the management of the NDDC to pay but nothing has been done. So, we had to go to court to obtain the necessary court orders to enforce compliance.’’

    Lokoson said if the commission failed to pay the tax after 14 days, the body would invoke the law and dispose of all the property of the NDDC to recover the debt through the proceeds of sale.’

    It was gathered management employees of the commission were not available during the operation.

    Other workers were not willing to speak on the matter but some employees were seen rejoicing over the development, wondering while the commission could not pay its tax.

  • NDDC to explore new funding patterns to boost devt

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has declared its willingness to explore new funding patterns to boost the capacity of the interventionist agency to tackle the development challenges of the region.

    Mr Ibitoye Abosede Director Corporate Affairs of The Commission, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Abosede quoted the Managing Director of the Commission, Mr Nsima Ekere, as saying this when a delegation from a South Korean firm paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    Ekere reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to do things differently in its drive to fast track the development of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.

    He told the South Korean delegation: “What you are offering is slightly different from what we are used to but we are ready to explore the opportunities in the new area.”

    The NDDC boss thanked leaders of the Korean firm for showing interest in Nigeria and the Niger Delta, noting that the oil-producing region was in dire need of world class infrastructure.

    “Building infrastructure is an expensive venture and our access to fund is limited.

    “Yet, we need funds to move faster. We are interested in working with you to provide the financing needed for our projects,” he said.

    Ekere said both the Commission’s Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr Mene Derek, and the Executive Director Projects, Mr Samuel Adjogbe, would interface with the Korean company to work out the details of a mutually beneficial relationship.

    “We have no problem with the structure that you propose. We will sit down with you to work out the details,” he told the delegates.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of Kunwon International Construction Company Ltd. in Nigeria, Chief Chris Anyiam, said that they were interested in bringing international funding to ensure that NDDC projects were executed promptly and at record time.

    According to Anyiam, the current NDDC board is blessed that we are bringing a new team that will bring their funds to develop the Niger Delta.

    “Nigeria should be beyond where it is today.”

    He noted that South Korea possessed the technology and resources to help in developing the Niger Delta.

    He said they are willing to bring in the funds and are interested in bringing positive change to the region.

    In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the South Korea construction company, Mr Chris Kim, stated that as a global player, his firm was adept in project financing.

    “We have a functional structure for putting funds together for projects. We need concrete projects and cash flow analysis to be able to access the funds at our disposal.

    “We only need to be given an opportunity to prove our mettle as we already have a financing structure in place,” Kim declared.

    He assured NDDC that his firm had the capacity and a special technology that would help to execute projects faster.

  • FG orders probe of NDDC staff educational qualification

    FG orders probe of NDDC staff educational qualification

    The Federal Government has ordered investigation into educational qualification of members of staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uguru Usani, gave the directive when he visited the Commission’s office on Friday in Port Harcourt.

    He expressed optimism the investigation would expose ghost workers and staff members, who gained employment into NDDC with forged certificates.

    Usani said the federal government was committed to purge the Commission of sleazy practices in order to fast track development of the Niger Delta.

    He said: “We have observed that there are several people working in NDDC with forged certificates, which is partly responsible for the bad image of the Commission.

    “Directors of the various departments in the Commission are expected to submit the nominal roll of their respective departments to the NDDC Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, within one week.

    “We will not tolerate any delay to this directive and as such, failure to submit the nominal roll on or before one week would lead to sanction.

    “Any departmental head who signed for a ghost worker would face the music.”

    NAN

  • Ex-agitator to Niger Deltans: don’t blackmail NDDC board

    The President of Niger Delta Ex-agitators’ Forum, Prince Amaibi Hornby (aka Busta Ryme), has called on Niger Delta indigenes to throw their weights behind the Board and mamagement of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The board is led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba.

    Hornby, in a statement  in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital by his media aide, Kelvin George,  said the board members of the NDDC should not be blackmailed by the people of the region in that they have shown commendable sense of responsibility and non-bias by their visit recently on the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

    The youth, who expressed no surprise on the decision of the Board members to embark on the visit despite their political affiliation, said the action is a demonstration that current NDDC board is made up of a group of men with wealth of experience in public office administration, and hence deserve the support of all stakeholders to develop the region.

    He argued further that the members have already put structures in place to stop all forms of corrupt practices in the commission to facilitate the development of the region.

    “I want to call on the people of Niger Delta to give their full supports to the new NDDC Board led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba. Since these are men who have held public offices in the past without question, and have put structures in place to check corruption in NDDC, they should be supported and nit blackmailed.

    “I am particularly happy that the new Board has put politics and tribalism apart in doing their work by the visit of the management to His Excellency Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers state.” He stated.

    Hornby also tasked national lawmakers of Niger Delta origin to sponsor a bill to give the proposed modular refineries legal backing for effective and sustainable operations when it kicks off.

    He called on the Federal Government to ensure full involvement of Niger Delta indigenes in the ownership rights for the facility, expressing concern on the information making the rounds on the approval of the facilities and suggested that mini refineries would fare better for than Modular refineries for equitable distribution.

    “National Assembly members from the states of the region should immediately come up with a bill to give modular refineries legal backing. This facilitate  the tireless efforts of the Hon. minister for Petroleum Affairs Dr. Ibe Kachukwu I’m ensuring that  the Niger Delta issues are resolved as soon as possible.

    “I however warned that the way the issue of modular refineries are happening now is dangerous. It is when the people of the Niger Delta region are fully involved in the ownership of these refineries that we can guarantee peace.

    “I am however of the view that mini refineries will be better than the modular refineries, this is because it will be easier for the people of the region to raise money to key into it that than that for Modular refineries.

    “Also I am of the view that approving mini refineries will create more jobs than the other, considering that involvement of the people of the region in the business of the resources from their area and creation of massive employment fir the youths of the region to reduce unemployment and destruction of oil pipeline are the main reasons for the planned modular refineries.” He stated.

  • Nigerians are hardworking, resilient – U.S envoy

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart-Symington, has described Nigerians as hardworking and resilient.

    He also said the success of Nigeria was crucial to the progress and development of Africa.

    Stuart-Symington, who was confirmed as ambassador to Nigeria on September 29, 2016, spoke on Monday when he visited the corporate headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State.

    The envoy, who was visiting the Niger Delta for the first time, noted that having moved round some states in Nigeria, especially in the North and Southwest, the country has great potential which should be adequately harnessed for growth and transformation.

    He urged Nigerians to always give peace a chance to move forward, stressing that emphasis must be placed on a united country rather than disintegrating.

    Stuart-Symington admonished the board and management of NDDC to continue with the sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

     

  • NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere has escaped death following a ghastly motor accident on his convoy Thursday.

    The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday along the Calabar-Itu high way when a trailer rammed into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director.

    Mr. Ekere and others were on their way to Calabar, Cross River capital to receive Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who is on a working visit to the state.

    During the accident, a policeman in the pilot vehicle, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report died while several others sustained different degrees of injuries.

    It was learnt that the body of the deceased police officer has been deposited in the hospital morgue while those that sustained injuries were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Uyo, the state capital.

    A statement which was released shortly after the road accident by the NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Toye Abosede said: “the convoy of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima.Ekere, has been involved in a road mishap.

    “The incident, along the Calabar-Itu Road, occurred when a trailer ran into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director who was on his way to Calabar to receive the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

    “The victims were immediately taken to a nearby hospital where they are receiving urgent medical attention for injuries. Unfortunately, one of the policemen could not be saved. Members of the entourage in other vehicles were unhurt in the unfortunate incident.”

     

  • We’ve recovered over N60 billion from contractors, says NDDC MD

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has recovered over N60 billion from contractors who abandoned various developmental projects after receiving mobilization fees.

    NDDC’s Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, stated this at the weekend while speaking as a guest on “State of the nation”, a Channels Television news and current affairs programme monitored by our correspondent.

    Ekere explained the agency is collaborating with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution to book the erring contractors to justice.

    He regretted that some contractors have failed to mobilise to site years after being awarded contracts, insisting such delay automatically invalidates the contract terms because all NDDC contracts are time- bound.

    He commended the new Niger Delta Initiative of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, whom he noted has brought about sustainable peace and progress in the region through renewed engagement with communities.

    He submitted funding remains a key challenge of the Commission, which currently has a balance sheet of over N1.3 trillion.

    He regretted the federal government owes the NDDC an outstanding backlog of N1.7trn due to the Commission statutorily.