The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)

  • Ex-militant leaders, Boroh strike peace deal  

    Ex-militant leaders, Boroh strike peace deal  

    Ex-militant leaders have vowed to work with the Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Gen. Paul Boroh (retd), to sustain the existing peace in the Niger Delta region.

    The leaders under the auspices of the Leadership Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI), were said to have struck a peace deal when they visited Boroh at the Amnesty Office in Abuja.

    The group in a statement in Yenagoa by its Bayelsa State Chairman, Mr. Bull Ifiemi and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Godgift Ayabowe, said during their visit of the amnesty office, they commended Boroh’s managerial skills and his leadership of PAP.

    The ex-militant leaders declared total support for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and thanked him for entrusting the affairs of the amnesty programme on Boroh.

    “We declared our total support for Boroh because of his effective and efficient management of the amnesty programme. We also pledged to support the President and the amnesty office to sustain the peace in the Niger Delta region”, the ex-militants said.

    They particularly commended Buhari and Boroh for various empowerment and agricultural development programmes in the region and for the release of their monthly stipends.

    They, however, pleaded with the Presidency to consider giving pipeline surveillance contracts to the youths in the region following their knowledge of Niger Delta terrains.

    The ex-militant leaders said the contracts should not be given to persons, who had done little or nothing to improve the development of the region.

    “We also appeal to the Presidency to allow the youths in oil-producing communities to become stakeholders in the proposed establishment of modular refineries. These youths will help to prevent any grievances that may occur in the region.

    “We are sure that if youths are given the opportunity to be stakeholders in the modular refineries and the surveillance contracts, no youth will be involved in any form of restiveness”, they said.

    The ex-militants regretted that in the past,  the jobs were given to greedy persons, who selfishly enriched themselves at the detriment of the youths.

    They advised that the surveillance contracts in the region should be channeled through the amnesty office following Boroh’s knowledge of leaders and youths on ground in the region.

    According to them Boroh would carry everybody along to ensure adequate execution of the contracts.

    “We further plead with the Presidency to prevail on federal agencies and parastatals especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta to involve the youths in their programmes and projects.

    “We also urge the presidency to look into the stipends of the leaders. The leaders receive the same N65,000 monthly stipends as their boys. This is too small because leaders still take care of the responsibilities and welfare of their boys”, they said.

    Read Also: Green Shirts of the Niger Delta

  • NDDC, NSIP to tackle poverty in Niger Delta – Ekere

    NDDC, NSIP to tackle poverty in Niger Delta – Ekere

    The Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) says it will work with the National Social Investment Programme ( NSIP ) to eradicate poverty in Niger Delta.

    NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, said this on Thursday in Port Harcourt, when the Special Adviser to the President and Head of NSIP, Mrs Maryam Uwais, led a delegation to the commission’s headquarters.

    According to a statement by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, NDDC will support NSIP to fight poverty in Niger Delta because poverty knows no political affiliation or religious inclination.

    “I am happy that NSIP is fighting poverty and striving to give hope to the poorest of the poor – who arguably are more in the Niger Delta that produces the nation’s wealth.

    “The present NDDC board and management are making efforts to return the commission to its core mandate. This explains why we currently have as much as 8,000 projects ongoing,” he said.

    Ekere said the desire to end poverty in the region led the board to adopt a 4-R strategy which focuses on redefining the commission’s processes.

    He said the strategy aimed at restructuring the commission’s balance sheet; restore its core mandate and reaffirm commitment to doing what was right and proper at all times.

    He said the strategy also entails reformation of the commission’s governance system to ensure it complies with extant rules and regulations.

    “NDDC has done a lot in infrastructure over the years; however, we also want to build human capital, which is the area that connects with NSIP mandate to fight poverty.

    “We are embarking on collaborations that will help; recently, we signed agreement with NEXIM bank to help us achieve this.

    “We want to create an export initiative in the agricultural sector – which will create jobs and help the nation’s economy, especially now that value of crude oil is waning,” he said.

    Ekere said the commission was in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency ( SMEDAN ) to create jobs for indigent youths and train women on businesses.

    Earlier, Uwais, the Head, NSIP, called on NDDC to assist the body to drive its four social investment programmes in the region.

    She said the Federal Government’s N-Power job programme for unemployed tertiary graduates in the country was by far “the largest spending item among its four social investment programmes.”

    “N-Power job scheme for unemployed graduates is running in 36 states and have seen 200,000 unemployed youths effectively enrolled, validated in 2016 and cleared to receive N30,000 monthly stipend.

    “The number of beneficiaries is expected to increase to about 400,000 in a couple of months,” she said.

    Uwais said they had made progress with GEEP, designed to empower market women, traders and artisans, with the disbursement of interest free loans.

    She said the portal for engagement of the beneficiaries would soon be opened and would last for a period of six weeks.

    NAN

  • Magu challenges CSOs on close monitoring of NDDC projects

    Magu challenges CSOs on close monitoring of NDDC projects

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the South-South to closely monitor contract award and execution by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Magu made the call in Port-Harcourt at an interactive session with CSO leaders in Rivers and Bayelsa states on Monday, the commission said in a statement.

    According to him, proper monitoring of contract award and implementation by citizens is an effective way of fighting the evil of project abandonment in the country.

    “We must monitor how contracts are being given and how they are executed to ensure transparency and accountability.

    “Also, civil society groups are needed to work with the EFCC in ensuring that right things are done, not only in respect of contract issues but also in all other issues.

    “Let people do the right thing within the South-South.

    “If people do the right thing it is for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta”, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, quoted him as saying.

    The EFCC boss also called on the CSO leaders to be ready to serve as a bridge between the commission and the larger public.

    He decried the rising rate of poverty within the South-South, noting that money meant for the development of the region was not accounted for.

    He, therefore, challenged them to work towards ending corruption in the region by sensitising youths and other interest groups about the evils of the menace.

    Magu stated that for CSOs to rise to the new responsibilities thrust on them, they must be committed, properly-involved and courageous. .

    “We are coming together to adopt a common strategy, be committed and properly involved. You need patience, perseverance and courage.

    “They will fight you because corruption always fights back but they cannot overcome you because you are doing the right thing”, he said.

    The National Director, Coalition of NGOs Against Corruption, Mr Haris Chuma, commended the EFCC on behalf of the CSOs.

    Chuma said the tempo of the fight against corruption had significantly increased since Magu came on board.

    He promised that the group would show more commitment and responsibility in the new roles offered them by the EFCC.

    “We are willing and ready to work with the commission to bring corruption to an end’’, he said.

  • NDDC to build women development centres

    NDDC to build women development centres

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it will build and equip women development centres in nine states of the Niger Delta region as part of its efforts to empower women economically.

    Mr Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of NDDC made this known in a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Ibitoye Abosede in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    Ekere said this when members of the Forum of Niger Delta Women (FNDW) visited the commission.

    Ekere said that the commission would work closely with the Forum to provide women with training programmes in agriculture, among others.

    “The training will come with starter packs and seed capital to ensure its sustainability aimed at developing the capacity of women in the region.

    “We are only concerned with the behaviour of some trainees who sell their starter-packs which reverses the gains of the programme,” he said.

    According to Ekere, women are drivers of the economy and have played important roles in the development of the country since independence.

    “Women are drivers of the society as well as shape the thinking of society and order the ways of the youth.

    “This is because, mothers have great influence on a child, and as such, whoever jokes with women will have him or herself to blame,” he said.

    Ekere urged the forum to sensitise younger women on the need to avoid violence and criminality that were inimical to the progress of the country.

    The managing director said that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to the development of the Niger Delta, and as such, deserved support of women in the region.

    Earlier, Mrs Maureen Tamuno, the Coordinator of FNDW said the forum was prepared to work with NDDC to develop the region.

    She commended the commission’s governing board and management over formulation and implementation of policies that sought to improve lives of the people.

    “We observed with pleasure the commission’s desire to bring about development and readiness to engage women and youths to curb restiveness in the society,” he said.

    Tamuno called on NDDC to build women centres in every state and in some local government areas of the region to give women a sense of belonging.

  • NDDC rice mill will end rice importation – Minister

    NDDC rice mill will end rice importation – Minister

    The Federal Government has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the completion of rice mill in Elele-Alimini, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, made the commendation during a meeting with NDDC and the Elephant Group in Port Harcourt on Monday.

    He expressed optimism that the mill would ensure food sufficiency in the country in addition to creating thousands of jobs for youths in the Niger Delta region.

    According to him, the rice mill project is part of the Federal Government’s  drive to ensure food security and end rice importation within the shortest possible time.

    “Before the Buhari-led administration took office; the Federal Government spent five million dollars daily on rice importation to the country.

    “NDDC has over the years started building a rice mill which has not been put to use,’’ he said.’

    He explained that the government embarked on the project  is because the region had potential to grow rice in commercial quantity even without fertiliser.

    “The Federal Government believes that the time has come for the country to use the rice mill NDDC has built to create employment and guarantee food security for the masses.

    “The Federal Government wants to make the nation to be self- sufficient in rice production at least by the year 2018,” he said.

    Lokpobiri said that Elephant Group, an indigenous company, would manage the rice mill and employ thousands of workers at the facility.

    He called on state governments and stakeholders to key into the Federal Government’s drive to ensure rice sufficiency in the country.

    The Managing Director of NDDC, Mr Nsima Ekere, said that the commission spent N1.5 billion on the rice mills in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

    He said that facilities, completed 10 years ago, were left to rot by previous governing boards and management of the commission.

    “When we came on board; we couldn’t come to terms that despite spending huge sums of money building large mills in Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Rivers the projects were not put to use.

    “In-line with the present administration’s zero tolerance to wastages, inefficiency and corruption we decided to work with the Minister of State for Agriculture to revive the facilities.

    “The rice mill would benefit the people of Niger Delta and country at large and add to the new Niger Delta initiative without oil,” he said.

    Ekere said the facility which would soon commence operation would make rice cheap and available to the masses.

    Also, Mr Olatunji Owoeya, the Managing Director of Elephant Group, promised that the facility would be put to judicious use for the benefit of the people of Niger Delta.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the facility has capacity to process 180 tonnes of rice daily; an equivalent of 3,600 bags of 50g.

  • NDDC pledges support for Ozoro Polytechnic in Niger Delta region

    NDDC pledges support for Ozoro Polytechnic in Niger Delta region

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has restated its resolve to  assist the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, with the provision of basic infrastructure, such as roads and hostel accommodation.

    The Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, said this in a statement issued by Mr Ibitoye Abosede, the Director Corporate Affairs of  the Commission on Wednesday.

    Ekere, represented by the Executive Director Projects, Mr Samuel Adjogbe, said this when he received members of the Governing Council, led by the Chairman, Funkekeme Solomon at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    According to Ebere,  the Commission is  making efforts to complete all on-gong projects in the institution.

    He said that the Commission would also embark on new projects such as the construction of hostel accommodation and other infrastructure to enable students learn under a conducive atmosphere.

    ”We will no longer allow people to hide NDDC money in their powers without delivering on projects. We are doing this to reposition the Commission.”

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman,  Delta State Polytechnic Governing Council, Solomon called on NDDC to prevail on the contractors handling the three major projects in the school, such as the 2-storey ICT Building, twin lecture theatre and on-going road at various stages of completion to return to site.

    In another development, representatives of major oil bearing communities of Owevwe, Opherin, Gana, Otokutu, Saniko, Agbaide and Ughere in Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government Area, led by Mr Ikpere Clement also visited the NDDC Headquarters.

    Clement said their visit was to protest the deplorable condition of road projects  abandoned in their communities.

    Ekere commended them for not taking the law into their hands by shutting down the oil flow station.

    He also assured the group that the Commission would prevail on the contractor to return to site as quickly as possible to ameliorate the suffering of the people and boost the economic   potential of the various communities.

  • NDDC to support universities in Niger Delta region – Ndoma-Egba

    NDDC to support universities in Niger Delta region – Ndoma-Egba

    The Chairman Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, has expressed the willingness of the Commission to support Universities in the region.

    Ndoma-Egba said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by Mrs Clara Braide, Special Adviser Communication to the Chairman, NDDC.

    Braide quoted the NDDC Chairman when the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, (FUTO), Prof. John Offem led a delegation of the 11th Governing Council of the University to visit the NDDC Office in Abuja.

    The NDDC boss congratulated the Pro Chancellor and Members of his Council on their appointment into the Governing Board of FUTO, while commending the University for producing well trained graduates who are doing very well in their various professional fields.

    “NDDC is giving special attention to Universities in the Member States of the region because we believe that well educated and empowered youths are the real resource of the nation and not oil.

    “Technology is a key driver of any economy.

    Oil is a finite resource, which might either dry up someday or made irrelevant by technology.

    We must, therefore, begin to look at an economy outside oil,” he emphasised.

    Ndoma-Egba further assured the delegation of the commitment of NDDC Board and Management to change the economic fortunes of the region by undertaking youth oriented projects that would create jobs for the people of the Region.

    He intimated the delegation of the commission’s plans to ring the region with Fibre Optics which would provide internet penetration and access across the entire Niger Delta Region.

    According to him, Internet connectivity is a catalyst to development.

    “Bill Gates, Zuckerberg founder of Facebook, and Steve Jobs are very good examples of youths who never had formal education, but through technology and creativity have made a huge difference in the world.

    “Similar creative and innovative minds that could drive technology could also be found in Abia, Imo and indeed other parts of the region, ” he said.

    Ndoma-Egba expressed the willingness of the Commission to collaborate with FUTO to jump start the process of adding more value to all Universities in the region and the Academic Community.

    Earlier, Offem said that FUTO is one of the Specialised Universities established by the Federal Government in 1980 to produce skilled manpower with strong Technological base to facilitate development of the country.

    He said the University has grown to become a leading supplier of skilled manpower to the Nigerian labour market, especially in the oil and gas, transportation and telecommunications as well as information technology sectors of the economy.

    The Pro Chancellor solicited the support of NDDC in undertaking various infrastructural Projects, particularly the construction of perimeter fencing to secure the University from encroachment by their neighboring Communities, illegal entry and other activities by undesirable elements

  • Senate seeks more funds for completion of East/West road

    Senate seeks more funds for completion of East/West road

    …Hails NDDC for intervention

     

    The Senate Wednesday asked the Federal Government to source for funds for the immediate completion of the East/West road.

    The upper chamber said that apart from government funding, alternative source of fund the road construction should be explored to ensure the completion of the road especially the sections along Aba/Eleme road junction to Onne road junction.

    The resolution followed a motion on “Urgent need to complete the East/West road’ sponsored by Senators George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), Magnus Abe (Rivers South East) and 22 others.

    Senator Abe particularly lamented the deplorable state of the road and commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for taking steps to repair failed sections of the road.

    Abe said that it was noteworthy that the NDDC has taken the initiative to do the needful on the road and prayed the Senate to ensure more funds for the intervention agency.

    Sekibo in his lead debate noted that the construction of the 675 km dual carriage way EAST/West Road was awarded by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 at the contract sum of N211 billion.

    He said that an additional 23.9km to link Calabar with the coastal town of Oron in Akwa Ibom State was included in the contract by former President Goodluck Jonathan making the road accessible by all the major oil producing areas of the Niger Delta region.

    Sekibo recalled that the project could not commence in 2007 as it was not included in the 2007 Appropriation Act.

    He said that during President Umaru Yar’Adua not much could be achieved because of lack of engineering drawing for the project, which was eventually achieved.

    He said that Senate should be worried that about 11 years from the date of contract award, the East/West road, which was an outcome of negotiation with the agitating Niger Delta Youths, still suffers neglect and disdain by the government.

    Sekibo said that the Senate should be more worried about the state of the section that link Aba road to Onne road junction in Rivers State, which links other parts of the country to multibillion investments including Port Harcourt Refinery 1 and 2, and others.

    He prayed that Senate to resolve to urge the Ministry of Niger Delta to ensure the completion of the road particularly the section that link the multi-national investments within the 2017 budget year.

    He also prayed the Senate to direct its committee on Niger Delta to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks. The prayers were adopted.

    On the prayer that Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) should as a matter of urgency intervene in the rehabilitation of the failed sections of the road, Abe argued that it might be unnecessary to do that since the NDDC Was already working on the road.

     

  • Revenue board seals NDDC’s office in Yenagoa over N336m tax liability

    Revenue board seals NDDC’s office in Yenagoa over N336m tax liability

    The Bayelsa Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), on Friday sealed off the Bayelsa office of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), over alleged non-remittance of N336million Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax liability.

    The BIR enforcement team served a court order on the staff before they ordered them to leave their offices.

    The Director of Compliance, Mr Robert Lokoson, who led the enforcement team, said the state government took the steps following fruitless efforts made to recover the outstanding tax deducted from workers’ salaries since 2014.

    Lokoson said the operation was part of renewed efforts to boost the internally generated revenue of the state.

    “This operation is part of efforts to recover tax revenue owed to the government by Niger Delta Development Commission and pursuant to Section 104 of Personal Income Tax Law, 2011.

    “The debt has been owed since 2014 and we have written series of letters to them to pay, but no response from them.

    “Four weeks back, we came and persuaded the management of NDDC to pay, but when it became obvious they were not ready to pay, we had to approach the courts to get the orders to seal their office.

    “So, we have to take this last resort of getting court orders, after we had exhausted other options ’’ the director said.

    He said at the expiration of 14 days, if the tax liability was not settled, the revenue board will be compelled to liquidate assets of NDDC to recover the tax debt.

    Meanwhile staff of the NDDC who were forced out of their offices, wondered why the commission could not remit the taxes deducted from their salary.

    The Bayelsa representative on the NDDC board, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, was not available when the team visited for the tax drive.

  • NDDC: We’ve recovered over #60 billion  from non performing contractors

    NDDC: We’ve recovered over #60 billion  from non performing contractors

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has recovered over N60 billion from contractors who abandoned various developmental projects in the region after being paid mobilization fees for the contracts.

    The Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, stated this on Friday while speaking as a guest on “State of the Nation”, a Channels Television news and current affairs programme, which was monitored by our Correspondent.

    According to Ekere, the NDDC is presently collaborating with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution to ensure that such erring contractors are brought to justice.

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

    He said the current NDDC Governing Board is committed to reforming the Commission, part of which involves undertaking projects that can be completed and delivered on time rather than award numerous contracts for projects that will be abandoned.

    Ekere said the issue of abandoned projects in the NDDC is a huge challenge which necessitated the ongoing reforms aimed at reforming the governance system to take away some of the discretion the executive have, restore the Commission to its core mandate, institutionalize due process in the way of doing things as well as rededication and reaffirmation of commitment of the management and staff of the NDDC to doing what is right.

    On the NDDC Master Plan, he explained that the inability to achieve the goals as envisaged in the master plan was due to the inability of other stakeholders such as States, Local Governments, Development Partners, Oil Companies, and the communities to key into the master plan, insisting that the present board is poised to change the narrative.

    He commended the new Niger Delta Initiative of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, whom he noted has brought about sustainable peace and progress in the region through his renewed engagement with communities in the region, an action he said has led to improved security in the Niger Delta, the resumption of academic activities at the Maritime University in Delta State as well as a new partnership between the NDDC and the Delta State Government aimed at constructing the Warri-Escravo road leading to the Maritime University.

    The NDDC Managing Director said, the Commission is currently embarking on massive skill acquisition training for youth in the region geared towards sustainable economic activities to lift up the economic wellbeing of the region and create jobs.

    He submitted that funding remains a key challenge of the Commission as the NDDC currently has a balance sheet of over N1.3 trillion, regretting that the federal government is owing the NDDC an outstanding backlog of N1.7trn due to the Commission statutorily.

    He said the NDDC has received only about N500 billion since inception, a challenge he noted necessitated his letter to President Mahammadu Buhari over the non release of funds meant for the NDDC.

    Mr Ekere commended the National Assembly for amending the NNLG Act to ensure that the NNLG pays its mandatory 3% of its annual budget to the NDDC as required by law, submitting that though the action of the NNLG was a question between national interest and corporate profit, the amendment will ensure that the legal requirement for oil and gas producing and processing companies operating in the Niger Delta region contributing to funding the Commission is achieved.

    On allegation of corruption in the NDDC, Mr Ekere said, he is committed at ensuring that international best practices are adhered to in the way things are done, insisting he is poised to deploying technology, establishing partnerships and initiating reforms to stamp out corruption and enshrine transparency from project conceptualization, procurement, project execution and delivery.

    He noted with dismay that weak institutions breeds inefficiency and corruption but advocated strong institutions to address issues of mismanagement and corruption in the system.

    He assured beneficiaries of NDDC foreign scholarship that the Commission is poised to resolving whatever hitches was encountered which might have impeded them from receiving their entitlements, promising that reforms are underway towards ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in the scholarship scheme.