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Tag: Niger Delta Development Commission

  • Mr President, please halt NDDC’s rapid drifting from its mandate now

    Mr President, please halt NDDC’s rapid drifting from its mandate now

    By Richard Tariowei

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established as an intervention agency to address the peculiar development challenges in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. The creation of the agency by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, was received with thunderous jubilation. It was like a dream come through in fulfilment of the Sir Henry Willinks  Commission’s report before Nigeria’s Independence in 1960 that emphasized the need to address the peculiar challenges of development facing the oil producing region in the interest of justice and fairness.

    Sadly, the development indicators point to the grim reality, that rather than using the fund meant for the development of the region, it has become a cesspool of corruption by successive managements of the NDDC; who have converted the agency to a breeding ground for funding personal political ambitions and a cash cow for funding dissident political activities of the respective states of the appointees of the NDDC.

    For instance, with the exception of only two individuals, most Managing Directors and chairmen have unfortunately used the commission’s resources as a springboard for their overreaching gubernatorial ambitions right from the tenures of Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, Emmanuel Agwuarado to that of late P.Z. Aginagha, and Nsima Ekere. The chairmen of the board of the NDDC are not left out, from Ugochukwu Onyema, Ambassador Edem to Tarila Tebepah, the trend has become a persistent pattern.

    Senator Godswill Akpabio further escalated this by contesting the 2023 presidential election while the NDDC was under his supervision, while he served as the Minister of the now-defunct Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. One cannot forget in a hurry the scandalous public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, when the then acting Managing Director, Mr. Pondei fainted during cross examination by members of the House Representatives. The lawmakers had to tell Akpabio to ‘off the mic’ when he was exposing some members of the National Assembly involved in the award of contracts to themselves at the session.

    In their attempts to bypass due process, successive Chief Executive Officers introduced numerous phony and unsustainable projects under the guise of emergency works, ranging from water hyacinth clearance to desilting of rivers, to all manner of non-existing jobs just to siphon resources through proxies and cronies, all in a bid to fund political aspirations. These actions have significantly derailed the noble ideals that led former President Obasanjo to establish the NDDC, and has taken a huge toll on the development of Niger Delta.

    The rot has worsened over time. Today, the Commission has been reduced to executing projects like solar street lights – many of which are already falling apart. To Alaibe’s credit, his tenure saw the initiation of sustainable legacy projects such as shoreline protection, road construction, university hostels, water supply, and electrification – all of which still stand as rare examples of impactful intervention.

    Under the current leadership, the Commission has become a subject of public mockery with no signature projects that will impact the lives of the people of Niger Delta positively, except the laughable solar light projects that falls short of the dream of sustainable development in the region. Solar light is a project which even ordinary councillors provide in their localities, much less of an agency that controls over a trillion as its budget.

    A more alarming trend is the alleged sponsorship of political groups aimed at undermining political structures in the Managing Director’s home state, projecting the NDDC as though it is a parallel government.

    Recently, the Vanguard Newspaper carried a report in which a group known as Niger Delta Unity Forum, warned against using the NDDC to promote divisive politics in the region, as that could erode people’s confidence in the primary mandate of the intervention agency. The coordinator of the group, Comrade Ogheneavo Ogbe in the said report warned against converting fund meant for the development of the region to funding dissident political activities in pursuit of personal political ambitions at the expense of the much-needed development in the region.

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    There is no doubt, the warning by the group represents the views of vast majority of the people of Niger Delta, which is unbecoming of appointees entrusted with a specific and sacred mandate to address the age-long marginalisation and underdevelopment of the region. It will be in the interest of the current management of the commission to learn from the mistakes of the past and face the onerous task of using the commission to alleviate the suffering of the people of the region and do away with seeing the agency as a means to achieve political gains. Whatever will be, will be.

    The NDDC fund is collective patrimony of the people of Niger Delta and it beats one’s imagination that the huge fund for the development of the region has become a political cash cow. The management of NDDC should be reminded that they will be held accountable for every act of failure. In other civilised climes, ideas rule the world in wealth creation and not by feeding fat on the common wealth of Niger Delta. The richest men in the world like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others whose wealth thrive on creative ideas and not constituting a conduit pipe to public funds.

    If there is anything true about the media reports on the activities of the current management of the NDDC, they need to retrace their steps and face the assignment given to them to develop Niger Delta. At this junction, Mr. President needs to listen to the worries of the ordinary people in the Niger Delta and call the leadership of the NDDC to order. The President needs to make a bold statement that the NDDC during his tenure, breathe a sigh of relief by breaking away from the obnoxious culture of using NDDC to fund personal political ambitions, while the region is dying because of lack of development.

    The infrastructure deficits in the Niger Delta are so pathetic that anybody engaging in activities inimical to the aspirations of the people of the region needs to be declared an enemy of the people. The President owes the people the duty to dispense with such characters and put in place honest men and women of integrity that will refocus the agency towards the greatest interest of the region.

    The arrested development under the current management of the NDDC is a serious concern that Mr. President needs to conduct a surgical operation and write his name in gold. Perhaps, Mr. President should not be deceived by the wishy-washy projects being touted by the management of the agency, as the general opinion is that enough is enough of the ongoing nonsense at the NDDC. A stitch in time saves nine.

  • Celebrating NDDC’s rice harvests in Edo community

    Celebrating NDDC’s rice harvests in Edo community

    Farmers in Warrake, a food-producing basket in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, had every reason to celebrate the harvest of their 50-hectare rice farm facilitated by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. This was the inaugural harvest under the NDDC Rice and Cassava Farmers Empowerment Programme, which is expected to cover the nine states of the Niger Delta region.

    The region is undoubtedly rich in agriculture, aquaculture and mineral deposits, with tremendous and largely untapped potential for tourism.

     The success recorded in Warrake signposts NDDC’s determination to support small-holder farmers in growing their operations and becoming training centres for youths as part of a plan to advance food security and promote youth employment.

     What happened at the Warrake rice farm shows the gains of leveraging the agricultural potential of the Niger Delta region and promoting the shift from traditional to mechanised farming methods.

     Speaking at the trail-blazing harvest in Warrake, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, described the event as a significant day in the history of agricultural programmes in the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku, represented by the NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, expressed delight at the young farmers’ enthusiasm for boosting food production.

     He declared: “This farm’s success is significant because it has adopted full mechanisation from land preparation to harvesting and good agronomic practices.

    We can also see that the seasons are not stopping the programme as work continues even into our short dry season.” “On June 5, 2024, we gathered at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Port Harcourt to formally onboard participating communities that provided land for this programme across the Niger Delta region.

     “I recall the enthusiasm of farmers and community leaders at the ceremony and their fears based on numerous past disappointments. I was happy that we started working with farmers in the first set of communities a few weeks after the ceremony.

    Today, I am pleased that we have begun harvesting here in Warrake.

     The NDDC boss noted that the Commission was equally working with farmers in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, stating that as the flood waters receded, the programme will sustain all-season farming across all the states of the Niger Delta region.

     He said further: “I encourage farmers, communities, and the consultant to continue working closely with us to replicate this success across all the project areas and improve on our accomplishments.

     “I thank President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the sustainable development of the Niger Delta and the special emphasis he has placed on food security in Nigeria. The NDDC will continue to work on accomplishing his directives.

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     “During the onboarding programme in June, we assured everyone that this programme will be successful. Today, this harvest serves as a milestone in a journey far from complete but has certainly taken off on a strong footing.” Ogbuku said that the lessons learnt from this inaugural farm and others currently at various stages would support the efforts of the NDDC in continuous improvement of the programme.

     He thanked the Warrake community’s leadership for making the land available and providing an environment that would enable the project’s success.

     He also thanked the farmers for their hard work, which, he said, “led to the harvest we are celebrating today. From the proceeds of this harvest, we will continue to sustain this programme even as you benefit from your hard work.”

     Speaking earlier on the agricultural programme, the NDDC Consultant for the project, Mr Von Dinieai Kemedi, said that the objective was to ensure that the Niger Delta region regained its status as the leading light in agriculture, especially in rice and cassava farming. He stated that NDDC was revitalising agric development in the Niger Delta and that the commission was very central to the development of agriculture in the region. He explained that the Warrake rice farm started with a land preparation covering about 98 hectares, of which 50 were planted.

     The traditional ruler of Warrake, HRH Alimu Ogbeidu, stressed the importance of food security and urged the federal government to ensure adequate protection for farmers engaged in food production. The royal father, represented by Chief Mustapha Orogho, appealed to the NDDC to construct the access road to the rice farm in Warrake One of the beneficiaries, Chief Gbadamosi Kadiri, hailed President Tinubu for the beneficial and timely initiative, which he said they would continue to support. However, he urged NDDC to help them fix the dilapidated road to the farm.

     A Warrake Community youth leader, Mr. Kasimu Mohammed, identified lack of capital as the major constraint to commercial farming. He noted that with proper funding, smallholder farmers would contribute substantially to food production in the country. Recall that earlier in the year, the NDDC entered into a partnership with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, as part of its efforts to ensure food security in the Niger Delta region. The NDDC boss told a delegation from the farmers’ association, led by the Deputy National President of RIFAN, Mr. Victor Korede, that the Commission was ready to partner with RIFAN to develop agriculture in the region, especially rice cultivation.

     According to the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, the Niger Delta region was blessed with the right ingredients for growing various crops and vegetables, stating: “Because of the arable wetlands, rainfalls and other favourable ecological factors, is in a better position to plant various crops and vegetables at least four times within a farming season.”

     “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 to harness all the opportunities that the Niger Delta region has to offer.” Antai, noted that the NDDC had built two rice mills in Elele-Alimi, Rivers State, and Mbiabet-Ikpe, Akwa Ibom State. We are interested in the farmers’ association’s smart agriculture approach. “In fulfilling President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the NDDC introduced a pet programme known as Holistic Opportunities, Projects and Engagement, HOPE, and agriculture is 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. Antai observed that the Niger Delta region was endowed with the right ingredients for rice growing, stating: “The Niger Delta region, because of 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, we must engage the rice farmers meaningfully, as they 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 to harness all the opportunities that the Niger Delta region has to offer.” Similarly, the Vice President of South-South of RIFAN, Mr. Emmanuel Anoh, said the association was set to demonstrate that sufficient local food production was possible in the country. He explained: “We are discussing 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. He added: “Niger Delta has a comparative advantage in rice production compared to others.

    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.”

  • ‘NDDC committed to delivering quality projects’

    Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Prof. Nelson Brambaifa has said the commission is committed to delivering quality projects in the Niger Delta. He promised that standards will not be compromised.

    A statement on Sunday by NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said Brambaifa gave the assurance at the inauguration of a new road in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) Layout Extension in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    According to him, the commission would continue to execute projects that would positively impact the people’s lives.

    Brambaifa was accompanied by the Bayelsa State Coordinator Francis Kolokoro; Director of Bayelsa Office Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, and others.

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    According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari deserved praise for the increasing number of completed projects in the region. He urged stakeholders’ to hail President Buhari for supporting the accelerated execution of development projects, by ensuring that funds were made available for NDDC to carry out its mandate.

    The NDDC chief, who admonished the people to support the Federal Government, also praised them for their peaceful conducts when projects were being executed in their areas.

    He urged them to sue for peace, stressing that development would be impossible chaos.

    Brambaifa said: “Peace is very important in order to assist the government in spreading development in the Niger Delta.”

    The NDDC chief noted that the road would serve the residents well as it would enhance their businesses and social activities.

    He said: “This is a sign of better things to come. More projects will be launched in the days and weeks ahead.”

    The NDDC team earlier visited Governor Seriake Dickson, who called for greater collaboration in the design and execution of projects by the commission, and urged NDDC to focus more on big-ticket projects.

  • Alleged tax invasion: Rivers govt seals NDDC’s premises

    The Rivers State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are bickering over alleged debt.

    The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS), on Wednesday, sealed off the commission’s corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital, over an alleged unpaid withholding tax that amounts to N50 billion

    Chairman of RIRS, Adoage Norteh said the NDDC premises were sealed off because the commission refused to make its financial records available for audit.

    But the NDDC denied the claims in a statement by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, saying that the commission’s record revealed that the claim is incorrect.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, accused Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of instigating the sealing off of the NDDC office.

    Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Nabena, who is also Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC said the Rivers State Governor was hiding behind the state revenue agency to witch-hunt the NDDC management.

    He said Wike, who is hiding under the guise of a bogus N50 billion unpaid tax was using the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service to harass the NDDC in a bid to frustrate the Commission’s development activities for the region.

    He said the sealing of the NDDC office did not follow due process as public records have shown, saying: “It is disheartening that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has chosen to sabotage the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission all in his bid to score political points against the President Muhammadu Buhari government.

    “Wike should know by now that an attack on NDDC’s operations is an attack on the South-south and other oil-producing states which the commission was established to develop.”

    While calling for caution, he called on the elders, leaders and other stakeholders across the Niger Delta to call Governor Wike to order.

    “In the meantime, I call on stakeholders in the Niger Delta to call Governor Nyesom Wike to order since he has decided to take his known executive rascality to new heights. Clearly, the sealing of NDDC’s office by the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service did not follow due process and is politically motivated to sabotage the President Muhammadu Buhari developmental agenda for the South-south and other oil-producing states.

    “The interest of the Niger Delta is bigger than any individual, in this case Wike. If this issue is unresolved and persists, the Federal Government must consider relocating the NDDC office to neighbouring Edo State to allow for the commission’s ease of operations.”

  • Our protest not against Brambaifa- Ex-militants

    Ex-militants under the Third Phase Presidential Amnesty Programme on Wednesday explained their recent protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State was not targeted at the Acting Manager Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

    In a statement by Third Phase National Leader, Tonye Bobo, aka Sir T and Secretary-General Karo Edor, aka OBJ, the ex-militants noted that their peaceful protest was to draw the attention of the commission to the plight of the youths.

    “We wish to state that Prof. Brambaifa is a man of integrity and visionary leader but people round him are sabotaging his good intention for the entire Niger Delta region.

    “We didn’t go out of our way to protest against Prof. Brambaifa, rather went for peaceful protests for our legitimate demands to prevail on the NDDC office to fast track the aged-long agitations for equity, fairness and justice in the region,” they said.

    The ex-militants, however, lambasted the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) for imputing wrong motives in their Port Harcourt protest.

    They described the RNDA as a faceless group and threatened unmask identities of Niger Delta leaders using the acronym to advance their selfish interest.

    The ex-militants said some double-faced individuals were hiding under RNDA to disturb the progress and development in the region.

    They said: “We wouldn’t have bordered to reply this faceless and uncoordinated group of the so called RNDA but it is disheartening to note that, they are only newspaper tigers, and their units commanders do not exist in anywhere in the region.

    “The leader of RNDA, one Major General Ezonebi, aka, Obama, is never a known agitator in the Niger Delta region but only claimed to be a general in the pages of Newspaper and only get a meal ticket from his disgruntled sponsors.

    “It is also not surprising that this RNDA, machination is to thwart the efforts of genuine agitators and those that have good intention for youths, rather than for their selfish and blind interest.

    “We challenge the RNDA, to come out for an intellectual debate on any platform on issues of the region, if really they claimed to be genuine freedom fighters.

    “We wish to still set the record straight that, there was no time the Federal government signed a ceasefire agreement between the acclaimed RNDA in 2016.

    “If the so called RNDA doesn’t desist from their nefarious activities of blackmail and pull-down syndrome that has characterized the genuine struggle of the region, we would not hesitate to expose those in public service and in the private sector claiming to be RNDA”.

  • NDDC to pay debts owed to contractors soon – MD

    Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said on Sunday that the commission would soon commence payment of debts owed to contractors.

    Brambaifa gave the assurance at a thanksgiving service held in honour of his family at the Chapel of the Annunciation Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Port Harcourt.

    According to him, the new management of the commission was working tirelessly to deliver on its mandate within the shortest possible time.

    “The management is currently clearing debts of N10 million and below and we are hoping to increase it to N20 million soon for other contractors.

    “Our aim is that contractors will stay in their house and get bank alerts. We don’t want them to be coming to NDDC headquarters, strolling all over the place.

    “We will get to N20 million and above gradually. This is because the race of a thousand mile starts with a first step and we are at the first step,” he said.

    Brambaifa said it would be impossible to drive development in the region if the people did not embrace peace.

    The managing director called on the people to be patient with the new management and give it time to deliver on its mandate.

    “We are a new kid on the block, going by being one month in office. We know that a lot of work needs to be done to fulfill our mandate.

    “We are urging the people to remain calm because there cannot be development without peace. We are doing our best to maintain peace,” he said.

    Speaking, Prof. Ndowa Lale, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, congratulated Brambaifa on his recent appointment as acting managing director of NDDC.

    Lale said the university was happy with the appointment of its two former students into key positions in the new NDDC management.

    “I have told them that they should be light to UNIPORT, just like God said let there be light in the Bible,” he told Brambaifa. (NAN)

  • Edo Govt’s SEEFOR Plus boosts road construction efforts

    The Edo State Ministry of Infrastructure, the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) and a new scheme wholly funded by the state government using the World Bank template, SEEFOR Plus, have intensified road construction work across the state.

    In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said road construction remains a key component of Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s vision to open up the state to socio-economic activities.

    Osagie said, “we will not relent on road construction until we have a state, where driving through the streets and towns will be hassle-free. Central to this plan is the intent to open Edo State for business and bring development closer to our people.”

    He explained that to ensure that a considerable number of roads get the needed attention, the Obaseki-led administration set up SEEFOR Plus, which utilises World Bank templates in funding projects, to complement road construction carried out by other agencies.

    The governor’s aide said the state government through the Ministry of Infrastructure is also carrying out construction work on several other road projects across the state.

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    Among the roads being constructed are several streets behind School of Health Technology on Dumez Road as well as others on Erediauwa Street, linking Upper Sokponba and Sapele roads, in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area.

    Construction work is progressing rapidly on streets in Ogbe Quarters, in Benin City, including the construction of drainage to evacuate flood water in the area.

    Work is also progressing on the 1.3kilometre Jemide-Ibizugbe-Osamwonyi road executed by the state government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    In Edo Central Senatorial District, the Iruekpen-Ekpoma Road, Welfare Road in Ekpoma and several other roads are being constructed.

  • NDDC, EU partner on project

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is collaborating with the European Union to complete abandoned water projects in nine states of the Niger Delta region.

    Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, NDDC’s Managing Director, disclosed this in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Charles Odili, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    According to the statement, Brambaifa gave the hint when he addressed a delegation from the EU-funded Niger Delta Support Programme 3 (NDSP3) on a visit to the NDDC in Port Harcourt.

    Brambaifa was quoted as saying that the NDDC was passionate to institutionalise community-based management structure for the maintenance and sustainability of basic infrastructure in the region.

    “We need to develop a framework to ensure community ownership of water projects in the region. This is because water is life.

    “We are looking forward to strengthening the collaboration with the EU to resuscitate abandoned water infrastructure in the region,” he said.

    Brambaifa said that in spite of abundance of groundwater in the Niger Delta, the region still lacked access to potable drinking water due to pollution.

    The NDDC boss said the region needed water project that would be sustainable to the satisfaction of inhabitants of the region.

    According to him, it is one thing to organise a project like this; but another to ensure its sustainability.

    “We don’t just start a water project and two months later it is vandalised.

    “So, we are committed to this partnership with the EU. We will work out modalities to ensure that any water project we commission would stand the test of time.

    “Also, we must find ways to safeguard our projects because it is one of our core mandates to bring sustainable development to people of the Niger Delta,” he said.

    The NDDC boss also urged the EU to commit more funds to the project with focus to tackling the menace of water-borne diseases in the region.

    Mr Albert Achten, Team Leader of the EU-NDSP3, said the body was ready to fast track completion of the 45 water projects in the region on or before end of May.

    Achten urged NDDC to release its counterpart fund early, especially as an existing contract between EU and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning would terminate in few months.

    “We enjoin our partners to push for an effective and timely implementation of the EU and NDDC-NDSP3 pilot project.

    “In the last two years, synergy had been developed between the EU-funded NDSP and NDDC towards reviving 45 abandoned water schemes in the nine Niger Delta states.

    “The NDSP part of the project is financed by the EU, but the logistics for some of the activities are expected to be taken care of by NDDC,” he said.

  • NDDC partners EU on sustainable water

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will partner the European Union (EU), through the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP) to resuscitate abandoned water infrastructure across the nine Niger Delta states, it was learnt yesterday.

    A statement by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said the Acting Managing Director, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, spoke when a delegation from the EU-funded NDSP3 pilot project visited him at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

    He stressed the importance of institutionalising community-based management structure for the maintenance and sustainability of basic infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

    Brambaifa reiterated the need to develop a framework to ensure community ownership of water projects, and praised the delegation for partnering the NDDC to ensure sustainability of water projects in the Niger Delta.

    “We are looking forward to strengthening the collaboration with the EU, because water is life,” he said.

    Brambaifa noted that the ground water in the Niger Delta was polluted, such that even with the abundance of water in the area, there was hardly enough fit for drinking.

    He said: “We definitely need sustainable water projects because it is part of our mandate to bring potable water to the inhabitants of the Niger Delta. It is one thing to organise a project like this, but it is another to ensure its sustainability. You don’t just start a water project and two months later you come to see that it had been vandalised.

    “We are committed to this partnership to work out modalities to ensure that any water project stands the test of time. We must find ways to safeguard our projects because it is one of our core mandates to bring sustainable development to the people of the Niger Delta.”

    The NDDC chief urged the delegation to convince the international body to increase its financial commitment to the water project to help the region with safe drinking water that would address the challenges of water-borne diseases.

    NDSP team leader Albert Achten noted the need to expedite action on the pilot project because its life span would terminate in May.

    He, therefore, enjoined the partners to push for an effective and timely implementation of the EU and NDDC-NDSP3 pilot project.

    Achten remarked that in the last two years, a synergy had been developed between the EU-funded NDSP and the NDDC, saying the key part of the synergy was the pilot project to revive 45 abandoned water schemes in the nine Niger Delta States.

    He recalled that the collaboration took off officially in November 2018 at a two-day Strategic Retreat for the Board and Management of the NDDC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. And on February 2, the NDDC demonstrated its commitment to the project by writing to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning on the programme.

    According to him, the project is up and running, as two very important tasks had been completed. He, however, stressed that time was running out since the contract between the EU and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning would end in the next few months.

    “We solicit the continued support of the NDDC for the project, especially as it concerns the release of funds. The NDSP part of the project is financed by the EU, but the logistics for some of the activities are expected to be taken care of by the NDDC,” Achten added.

  • NDDC boss commends INEC, urges more development

    The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting peaceful elections in his community, Agbere in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, despite reports of disturbances across the country.

    Prof. Brambaifa said through statement signed his Special Assistant on Media, Ayebakuro Igbeta, that his he was particularly happy that he performed his civic duties, alongside his wife, Dr. Anna Brambaifa, at their Town Hall Polling Unit 2, Agbere.

    According to him, “I was particularly encouraged by the large turnout of voters, stating that the “people showed that they are politically conscious and are determined to play a role towards the development of the area and fostering regional peace and security.”

    Furthermore, He said: “My mandate at the NDDC is to facilitate the development of our people in the Niger Delta Region, to improve their living conditions, to bring peace and security to the Niger Delta, following the example laid down by the Federal Government and these I and the executive management are determined to do.”

    Prof. Brambaifa called on all Niger Deltans to eschew political differences and contribute to making the region a better place, stating that the poor state of affairs in the Niger Delta seemed to always make youths restless in the communities.

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    “Our communities according to him, are in dire need of our intervention”, “So our urgent commitment is to work together, as leaders of the region and our people, to change their fortunes, improve their lives and fulfil their dreams of a better region.

    He said that the elections had come and gone and “we must return to our duty to work for the benefit of our people.