The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Delta Development Commission

  • Respite for commuters as federal roads get face-lift in Cross River

    Respite for commuters as federal roads get face-lift in Cross River

    It is a fact that Cross River State has suffered from bad federal roads for a long time.

    The state has two major federal highways, which are the Calabar-Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene and the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu-Katsina Ala. Both are in states of disrepair. The former is the shortest to other Southsouth and Southeast states, while he latter, which runs almost through all the local governments in the state leads to the northern part of the country.

    The Calabar-Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene Road had given attention as the Federal Government through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) carried out intervention works to ameliorate the plight of commuters in 2016.

    The Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu- Katsina Ala was however still left in a state of complete disrepair. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had visited the state last year to inspect the deplorable state of this particular road and following outcry by road users and plea by the Cross River State government, had promised that funds would be released to carry out intervention works at critical sections as well as rehabilitation works where necessary.

    The project which was taken over by Sermatech Nigeria Limited who handled and completed the intervention of critical areas of the road, ameliorating the sufferings of the road users and reducing travel time by a great deal.

    Of particular relief was the urgent intervention at the Pamol axis of the Calabar Odukpani Highway, the only road leading in and out of the state capital, where a deep gully had threatened to cut the road in two, endangering lives of road users.

    Project Engineer, Sermatech Nigeria Ltd, Iheanacho Chibueze, said they got the main contract, which is Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala Federal Highway, which is ongoing, and intervention along critical points between Calabar and Ikom, which have been completed.

    “There are also other sections of the road that we have intervened and the intervention came when the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, visited last year and there was a plea from the government of Cross River to maintain the road because every year there is always a portion of the road that is cut off and then people cannot access the road. As a result of that he promised to release funding for the major work, which is the rehabilitation and also pay attention to the critical sections. We have sections 1, 2 and 3 and we have the intervention work at Iwuru. Now Section 1 is at Okomita, that Palm Estate. We intervened there, stabilised the road. We have section 2 from Uyanga to Akpet. Those areas collapsed and so we intervened and stabilized the road. The section 3 which stretch from Akpet to Nyamoyong. The work in Adim falls into that section.

    “The intervention works started last year, but the rehabilitation work started 2015. But the Section 1, 2 and 3 and Iwuru were all started around August last year and we have completed them. We have completed all the emergency. The one ongoing now is the main rehabilitation work, and this depends on funding. What we have done is as a result of the fund we received last year, and it was a promise the Minister made when he came,” Chibueze said.

    Director Civil Works, Cross River State, Engr Dr Godwin Akeke, who expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the intervention on the roads, however pointed out that the state was owed almost N30 billion for interventions it had carried out on the road in the past.

    He said: “I want to take you back a little that the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu Federal Highway. The roads were constructed as a post-civil war intervention project. Over time there have been issues of failures, majorly because of the kind of materials that were used for the culvert construction, anchor pipes were used or steel shells. Most of them have past their lifespan and the road itself too has gone past its lifespan.

    “Over time, I know that the Cross River State government has severally intervened. The Calabar Odukpani Road is the only road leading in and out of the capital and when it was almost cut off, we had to notify the Federal Government to take responsibility. The place was near impassable. People saw the place that it was a gully. The anchor pipe fell and Sermatech was commissioned to handle and they did it well. They have arrested the situation. They have done well. They have shown capacity, they have been able to stabilize the place and now we can have a thoroughfare, free flow of traffic.

    “There are other sections too that we used to have it very tough, like in Adim. As State Director of Works, their presence is felt there too and we are happy about that. The Adim section used to be very swampy and they have been able to remove the unsuitable material and introduce culverts that would take the flow across the road safely and stabilise the road. We are happy that they have done so. Another section worthy of note is the one at Biase.

    “Let me highlight that when the road was designed, the current traffic flow was not anticipated. Now we have heavy industrial activities, like the quarry products, petroleum products and Calabar happens to be the second largest tank farm city. So petroleum products going to the north and southeast and others go through this road. There is no other alternative.  We are very happy about the intervention of the Federal Government.”

    Mr Samuel Enya, a driver with a transportation company that plies the road that leads to the northernmost part of the state expressed gratitude for the job, saying life has been made much easier for them.

     

  • 100 new stars from the Niger Delta

    100 new stars from the Niger Delta

    Aztech Arcum Event Centre on Ken Saro-Wiwa Road, Port Harcourt in Rivers State hosted eminent personalities on February 3. That day 100 new stars were unleashed on the Niger Delta. The event was the 6th graduation of 100 beneficiaries of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI)/Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Entrepreneurial and Skills’ Acquisition.

    The Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO (ESI), which was started on October 16, 2008, has as President/Founder, Dame Judith Amaechi, who is the wife of the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state.

    The 100 beneficiaries, who had colourful procession into the venue in coveralls and protective helmets, later changed into academic gowns, to the admiration of their parents, guardians, other family members, friends and well-wishers, with the legendary and award-winning gospel artiste, Frank Edwards, and others entertaining the guests.

    The intensive training for four weeks by mostly foreigners, made the beneficiaries to become specialists in screeding, carpentry, plumbing, Plaster Of Paris (POP) ceiling installation, floor tiling, electrical wiring and decoration.

    During the graduation, each of the beneficiaries received N150,000 as business investment capital support and starter pack, to start them off in the right direction, as well as presenting all of them with certificates of participation.

    Chairman of the Central Planning Committee (CPC) of the graduation, Dame Maureen Tamuno, in her welcome address, insisted that the NGO had done well in the last ten years.

    Tamuno stressed that the founder of ESI (Dame Judith) had positively been impacting the lives of many women, youths and children in the Niger Delta and beyond.

    The Chairman, Board of Trustees of ESI, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who is also the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in his address, stated that giving youths hand-outs would not be sustainable, while pointing out that giving the young ones qualitative education and skills would ensure a brighter future.

    Peterside said: “We at ESI are arming our people with skills that are sustainable and that will make them to employ more persons, while some politicians are arming the youths with guns and giving them hand-outs, which should be discouraged.”

    Chairman of the ESI’s board of trustees also assured that the NGO would continue to make Niger Deltans and other Nigerians proud.

    The guest speaker, Sanjeev Ohri, who is the Chief Officer, Business Development, Dudley Worldwide, United Kingdom, stated that his institution/organisation was proud of the partnership with ESI, to empower the youths.

    Another guest speaker, Kunle Awobodu, who is the First Vice President of the Nigeria Institute of Building, noted that efforts must always be made to address the skills’ gap in Nigeria, through empowerment of the youths.

    Awobodu pointed out that there is future in Nigeria, in terms of skills’ acquisition, while lauding ESI for its activities and efforts.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, stated that equipping the youths, women and children to survive in the 21st century had been the passion of Amaechi’s wife, who was described as a prayerful and supportive woman.

    Lulu-Briggs maintained that Dame Judith, as Rivers First Lady, was a delight, while referring to the founder of ESI as an amazing woman, who should always be celebrated worldwide.

    The representative of Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator Andrew Uchendu, stated that Dame Judith had done well with her NGO, stressing that the energies of the youths must be harnessed for productive purposes, with a solid foundation laid for the young ones, which he said ESI was addressing.

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Pastor Usani Usani noted that ESI had got the best in global standard, while the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, admonished the beneficiaries, drawn from the nine states of the Niger Delta, to effectively utilise the opportunities.

    The graduation, which had as theme: “Home Finishing Skills, a Pathway to Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihood.” was also attended by the Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Chief Victor Giadom; a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam; the Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Prof.Henry Ugboma; and a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Dawari George; among others.

    The founder of ESI, in her address, solicited the support of all stakeholders, especially with ESI engaging mostly foreign trainers, stressing that sustainability was key, if the back of the scourge of endemic poverty must be broken.

    Former Rivers First Lady said: “The training was kicked off on January 10, 2018. ESI is proud to collaborate with Her Excellency, Hajia Aisha Buhari’s Future Assured Initiative, which is very actively advocating the health and well-being of women, children and other vulnerable groups, through community mobilisation and health promotion.

    “For the modest successes we have jointly achieved at ESI, more of which we will, hopefully, attain in the future, I humbly give thanks and all the glory to God Almighty, who has made everything possible.

    “For over a decade, ESI has aggressively engaged in many children, women and youth educational and vocational activities, including capacity building, both on the national and international stages.

    “The mission of ESI is to tackle endemic poverty head on, develop a skill force that enables our citizens to be employable and self-employed, thereby reversing youth unemployment, eliminate social vices and temper restiveness in our region (Niger Delta) and country by empowering and securing opportunities for the sustainable of livelihood of our youths and women.”

    Mrs Amaechi also revealed that ESI’s flagship was the entrepreneurial development and skills’ acquisition programme, which she said was conceived at a time when the skills gap in the Niger Delta was a daunting challenge, but recognised that the region’s potential for sustainable inter-personal growth was severely stunted.

    Dame Judith noted that since 2008, when ESI started, it had provided various training programmes in vocational skills and entrepreneurial development, including capacity building to over 3,000 beneficiaries in Nigeria.

    The president of ESI disclosed that the NGO was making efforts to evolve a culture of self-employability in Nigeria, thereby focusing on entrepreneurial, vocational and leadership value enhancement, described as a key to finally and completely unlock the potential and myriad of possibilities open to the people, in a pragmatically achievable and sustainable manner.

    The Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, described the graduation as a great milestone to transform the Niger Delta, stressing that NDDC was re-writing the history of the Niger Delta through massive infrastructural development and empowerment of the people.

    He noted that the partnership between NDDC and ESI showed what could be achieved, while working together, with the energies of the youths to be directed to productive ventures.

    Ekere disclosed that between 2003 and 2017, NDDC trained and built the capacity of 22,612 youths and women of the Niger Delta in vocational skills, while revealing that training of 5,000 more youths of the region, rich in crude oil and gas, was being processed and would commence as soon as the commission’s budget was approved.

    NDDC’s managing director said: “Nine thousand applicants showed interest in the ESI/NDDC Entrepreneurial and Skills’ Acquisition programme, but only 100 were selected to participate,” adding that the mandate of the Federal Government’s interventionist agency went beyond physical infrastructure.

    Ekere also lauded President Buhari for his commitment and attention to Niger Delta matters, putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable development, while making the Niger Delta and other parts of Nigeria better places for all.

    Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated that Nigerians are extremely resourceful and creative, stressing that all citizens have roles to play, in order to ensure a better Nigeria.

    Mohammed urged the ESI’s graduands to take advantage of the life-changing opportunities, not only to ensure better life for themselves and their families, but to endeavour to employ others.

    He noted that the ESI was complementing the efforts of the government to empower Nigerians, particularly the youths, women and children.

    The information minister said: “Jobs are not created only when you advertise, neither are jobs created when it is white collar jobs. Before this government came in, the nation had 5 million of rice growers. Today, we have 12.2 million rice growers.

    “So, that is an extra of more than 7 million jobs in the agric sector alone. This is not fiction, but facts and this was corroborated by the chairman of the Rice Growers Association a few days ago. Not only government creates jobs. Every individual and NGO should help to create new jobs.

    “200,000 jobs have been created directly by the N-Power programme. Another 12,000 jobs will be created in the second phase and the Government Inter-Temporary and Empowerment Programme has created another 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    “Through the school feeding programme; government has created 61,000 new jobs, just for schools. So, job creation is not just the job of government alone. We are to provide the enabling environment through programmes and activities.”

    The information minister also stated that the ESI was a well-thought-out and beautiful initiative, having tallied with what government had started doing.

    The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajia Aisha, disclosed that she was proud of the founder of ESI, in view of her laudable works through the NGO.

    The President’s wife, who was represented by the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Gimbiya Yakubu-Dogara, urged Nigerian youths, especially those of the Niger Delta, to remain focused and to continually contribute to societal development.

    Dogara’s wife said: “The wife of the President is proud of you (Dame Judith) for all the laudable works you are doing. I want to thank the Minister of Transportation (Amaechi) for giving Dame Judith the opportunity to realise her dream. Madam, you had a dream and you pursued it, you followed it and it has come to fruition. All Nigerian women are proud of you.

    “To the celebrants (graduands), you have been given an opportunity to be what you are. You had a vision and this woman (Dame Judith) has given you everything she can give you. You have to talk to yourselves, encourage yourselves, push forward and keep moving, you will be what you desire to be. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. This is the right step to achieving your goal.

    “The challenge is that people will castigate you, close your ears and continue to move, you will achieve. I beg of you that Dame Judith’s efforts must not be in vain. It is in your hands to push it and to continue to move forward. That people will see and say of a truth, you have given this woman a reason to smile.

    “I want to thank the NDDC for believing in this woman (Dame Judith) and for giving her the opportunity to be what she wants to be. I call on other women and other philanthropists to support and give her everything that she needs to move forward.

    “If her husband had not pushed her, if he had not talked to her and encouraged her, she will not be what she is today. We are very proud of you (Dame Judith). To whom much is given, much is required. The people of Rivers State and other Niger Deltans are very proud of you for supporting her (Dame Judith)”

    The spokesman of the beneficiaries, Nwonodi Wosu, while showing appreciation to ESI, NDDC and others, stated that the 100 graduands were glad with the capacity building and acquisition of skills, reiterating that the future of Niger Delta and Nigeria lied in the youths.

    Wosu, who disclosed that the beneficiaries had rigorous training for four weeks, lauded the president of ESI and NDDC for believing in them, for the support and opportunities given to them, while assuring that they would not abuse the privilege.

  • Minister’s kinsmen hail NDDC for Onicha-Ugbo/Idumuje-Ugboko road

    Minister’s kinsmen hail NDDC for Onicha-Ugbo/Idumuje-Ugboko road

    Indigenes of the twin agrarian communities of Onicha-Ugbo and Idumuje-Ugboko, Aniocha North Local Government A have poured encomiums on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following commencement of remedial work on a major highway linking South Eastern Nigeria and the Northern parts of the country.

    This stretch of the highway, which traverses both communities, was the only motorable highway linking many eastern states with the north following the deplorable conditions of the alternative routes such as the Ellah/Ebu roads and the Agbor/Uromi roads.

    The poor state of the road has taken its toll on economic activities with many residents unable to bring produce from their farms.

    Aside, the failed portions have served as a veritable ground for marauding armed robbers, especially at nights.

    The combined effects of many years of neglect, poorly constructed road and an increase in vehicular traffic has ensured that the road remained un-passable, especially during the rainy season.

    But respite has come the way of indigenes of both communities as work has commenced on the over 30 kilometers stretch of road.

    A youth leader, Osagie Igbinehi who spoke with The Nation praised the federal interventionist agency for coming to their aid, but warned that vehicles have been over-speeding since the remedial work commenced/

    His words, “The speed on this road is too much and it is not good for us residents like here now students are crossing this road, it is good that they should be speed breakers. There is a school here; we need a speed breaker at least five or six down. The community will not be involved in putting speed breakers, we want ULO Consultants and NDDC do it for us. The road was very bad; it was not what you can take a look at. We really thank NDDC and ULO the way they have done, they tried. If you were here last four months, I don’t think you can even cross this place, it was abandoned for good five months, no vehicle was passing, the community was crying, nothing was happening at this place until they came to our rescue. We thank whosoever that led them to us. We were cut off from so many things but now we thank God. From here you link Edo State; you can link Kogi, Abuja and other northern states. This is the short way to the nation’s capital from the east”.

    Another resident, Godwin Osemeke, was full of praises for NDDC, adding that he and others in the community have had to abandon their farms.

    Osemeke who claims to be a trailer driver attributed the poor state of the road to overloaded articulated truck which ply the road and urged government to regulate the usage of the road by heavy duty trucks.

    He said, “For some time, it has been very bad on this road but I think the contractor ULO consultants has been doing a very good job. I commend the NDDC and the contractor. Oh my God, I am a real farmer; I had to abandon my farm for three months, because I had no access to my farm land. It was the same with many people; even motorcycles could not ply it. The gully was more than 20 feet deep. You can’t access it even on foot, but now the story is completely different. My worry now is Dangote trucks, they usually exceed their carrying capacity, I am a trailer driver, a trailer is supposed to carry not more than 30 tonnes. By the time you carry 60 tonnes times maybe 50 trucks ply the road every day, you can imagine the impact on the road. Government should try to address the issue. Although there were no incidents of armed robbery attacks within our community, but we heard that robberies were rife down the road, at Idumuje- Ugboko down to Ewohimi in Edo State.”

    Ex- Federal lawmaker, Ned Nwoko who hails from the Idumuje-Ugboko community expressed happiness at the ongoing rehabilitation work while commending the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu for hearkening to the cries of the common folks in both communities and influencing the remedial work.

     

  • NDDC steps up job creation programmes

    NDDC steps up job creation programmes

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it has concluded plans to develop training programmes that will fast-track job creation in the region.

    The NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, said this in a statement by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs Ibitoye Abosede in Port Harcourt yesterday.

    Ekere said about 5,000 youths and women would benefit from the programmes slated to begin during the first quarter of 2018 in the nine states of the region.

    “We promise that the enterprise hub will be up and running in the shortest possible time. The hub will help create more jobs and fight unemployment to end militancy.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the commission to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Niger Delta youths and women are gainfully and profitably engaged and empowered for sustainable livelihood.

    “This is precisely what we are doing and this is exactly what we will do with an increased tempo this year,’’ he said.

    According to him, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with stakeholders for the establishment of the nation’s first enterprise innovation and growth hub.

    Ekere said the commission’s home finishing skill training would cover key areas such as welding and fabrication, modern printing technology and solar power technology.

    Other areas covered by the training are maritime technology, entrepreneurship development, food processing, catering and confectioneries, creative arts and entertainment, as well as fashion design and tailoring.

    He said the commission had also rolled out another skill acquisition training that sought to boost construction industry in Niger Delta and the country.

    “The skill gap in quality finishing of homes, offices and other building projects has remained yawning and a constant source of concern for home owners and operators in the construction industry.

    “In most cases, the standard of finishing of homes and offices is so poor that builders and home owners resort to hiring skilled tradesmen and craftsmen from neighbouring countries and even beyond.

    “This is one of the reasons why we have decided to intervene in this sector of the construction industry in furtherance of our mandate on human capital development.

    “This programme, therefore, seeks to develop and deliver training, under the supervision of world class experts from United Kingdom for 100 qualified participants in the first instance,’’ he said.

    The managing director said that beneficiaries would learn P.O.P ceiling installation; wall screening and painting; floor plumbing; electricity wiring; specialised carpentry and interior decoration.

    He gave the assurance that the training would be based on requirements taken from relevant United Kingdom occupational standards and associated organisations with focus on meeting requirements in Nigeria

  • Ndoma-Egba mourns mum

    Ndoma-Egba mourns mum

    Sometimes, sad news lurks in the corner, waiting to make its appearance at the point the drum of celebration is about to beat loudest. Elder Adeline Ndoma-Egba, the mother of easy-going board chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, was only a few days away from celebrating her 92nd birthday when death came knocking on her door.

    Elder Adeline gave up the ghost on December 30 last year after a lifetime of service to humanity; a life in which she raised respectable children who have gone on to become beacons of hope in the society. The news of her demise no doubt dampened spirits in the Ndoma-Egba family during the Yuletide.

    Funeral arrangements remain yet under wraps as the family tries to come to terms with their loss. One thing that is certain, however, is that the well-heeled NDDC chairman will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that his mother gets a befitting burial.

  • Another giant stride for Nsima Ekere

    Another giant stride for Nsima Ekere

    Great leaders do not come around often. And when they do, it usually takes time for the rest of the world to acknowledge their greatness. This aptly captures the case of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, Nsima Ekere, who is only just beginning to get the recognition his efforts have long deserved.

    He recently announced to a jubilant staff of the NDDC plans to finally move into their permanent head office in Port Harcourt next year, after decades of making do with a temporary head office.

    As part of his unquenchable desire to better the lot of the people of the Niger Delta region, Nsima has been at the forefront of the commission’s recent moves. Like an experienced driver navigating a familiar terrain, he has been steering the activities of the NDDC in a direction that is sure to yield the greatest possible dividends to his people.

    One of the fruits of this new direction is the recent partnership with SMEDAN to create jobs for the youths. Another is the impending N5 billion partnership with the Nigerian Import-Export Bank (NEXIM) to boost agriculture and SME development in the region. With all these moves, it is no wonder that Ekere is quickly becoming a symbol of hope to the people of the South-south.

  • Change in NDDC rekindles hope of Niger Delta development 

    Change in NDDC rekindles hope of Niger Delta development 

    Regular visitors to the corporate headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State are seeing changes about the commission. Many things have changed within and outside the premises; it certainly looks different. There is a new air around the vicinity and members of staff. But the real changes are not necessarily physical; it is how the new NDDC now functions.

    The era when contracts are literarily hawked around the commission’s headquarters on Aba Road, when touts, hangers-on and praise singers take up strategic positions around the NDDC premises awaiting the ‘big men’ to pass through and throw wads of naira at them like some American rappers are gone.

    This new NDDC rekindles hope in the people of the region, despite the dirty politics by some stakeholders, who include governors. The awakening of the sleeping giant from its ennui towards the achievement of its core mandate, that is development of the oil-rich region, was foretold in February, when the board held a retreat for management and members of staff of the commission.

    The retreat offered the Mr. Nsima-Ekere-led commission along with the board, chaired by Ndoma Egba, the avenue to unfurl its agenda, hinged on the 4Rs of restructuring its balance sheet, reforming governance protocol, restoring the core mandate of the commission and re-affirming a commitment to doing what is right and proper.

    Topics discussed at the retreat revolved mostly round the issue of “corruption in the system”, how to initiate and execute projects that are beneficial to the people and not to serve interests; how to ensure transparency and redemption of the commission’s image in the eyes of the public.

    Erstwhile Director-General, Bureau for Pubic Service Reform, Dr. Joe Abah, said at the retreat that the NDDC of the past was the worst-managed government organisation he ever saw. It was a damning assessment from the respected reformer, who saw lots of dirty government agencies and helped in their cleansing.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ekere agreed. He lamented the image of corruption the mention of NDDC in the region and beyond conjured, and vowed that his team would work assiduously to correct the image and restore confidence in the commission.

    To this end, the management met with dozens of development partners, which culminated in the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with BudgIT and the UK’s DFID-funded Oxford Policy Management Limited, among others.

    The OPML implements the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform in Nigeria, while BudgIT is a Nigerian civic technology organisation that works towards raising the standard of transparency in institutions such as the NDDC, as well as engagement of citizens towards ensuring accountability in public finance. The MoUs, signed in May, raised the bar for the commission’s budgeting process as well as open it to public scrutiny and participation as never before.

    Under the terms of the MoU, BudgIT worked with NDDC to develop ‘Open Budget Systems’ platform and the implementation of an effective Public Data Dissemination programme. It basically assisted the NDDC to develop an online portal for the NDDC Open Budget System, effectively communicate the transparency initiatives of the NDDC, engage policymakers, private sector actors and the public about initiatives of NDDC.

    The key objectives and advantages of the collaboration, according to the two sides, include: improvement to NDDC reporting process, strengthening accountability, improvements to prioritisation of projects and budgeting, improving transparency and disciplined spending.

    It will also provide support for project monitoring and evaluation, engender stakeholder engagement and generally promote value for money. These are areas that are crucial to the core mandate of the commission, which is to facilitate rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.

    BudgIT has a reputation for transparency initiatives and it extensively works to spur members of the public to demand answers on budget and fund utilisation. BudgIT urges the public to ask questions about the nation’s resources and how their taxes are being utilised in provision of infrastructure and public services.

    The MoU aims at encouraging the NDDC to take steps to institutionalise proactive disclosure of public data and information, and partner with it to develop and execute relevant engagement programme in the communities of the region.

    Ekere described the MoU as a milestone for the management’s and board’s broad plan of action to strengthen NDDC for the achievements of its core mandate.

    “We at NDDC will continue to remain true to our commitment to continuously engage with key stakeholders and partners towards the overarching goal of the development of the people and the region of the Niger Delta,” he said.

    Besides, he noted that the partnership was in line with the Federal Government’s membership of the Open Government Partnership and its commitments towards ensuring that government and its institutions make a strong commitment to promote transparency and accountability; fight corruption and use new technologies to strengthen governance and empower citizens.

    “The expected outcomes of this initiative are to ensure that not only is real change happening within the NDDC and in the Niger Delta region but that this change is benefitting citizens,” the MD said.

    This initiative with BudgIT not only serves as a unique platform for public governance transparency reforms and illustrates the NDDC’s management’s determination and readiness for openness in its operations, but it has also provided a framework of much-needed change that helps the NDDC and its stakeholders decide what is most relevant in their regional contexts thereby leading to the successive tackling of a diversity of issues and a multiplicity of approaches taken.

    Ekere further said: “Beyond the deliverables outlined in the MoU, we at the NDDC hope that this collaboration with BudgIT, will result, among many other things, in assisting management focus efforts and resources on social outcomes that really matter to the people of the Niger Delta.

    “We hope to build a strong and broad-based transformative system that serves to provide citizens with more information about how NDDC functions and thereby enable them to be more informed and engaged and better able to hold NDDC to account. By this initiative, we hope to send a strong and clear message to the people of the Niger Delta, Nigerians at large and the international community that we at the NDDC are committed to doing the right thing regarding good governance.”

    The commission also teamed with the Oxford Policy Management Limited as part of its efforts towards provision of services to strengthen management system and delivery of developmental projects in the region. Oxford is funded by the Direct Foreign Investment Department (DFID) of the United Kingdom and implements the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform in Nigeria.

    The purpose of the MoU, according to documents obtained by Niger Delta Report, aimed “towards providing support services to strengthen the management system and delivery of developmental projects in the Niger Delta region.”

    The implementing team, among others, worked on institutionalising NDDC budgetary processes, emphasising on depersonalisation of projects, as it was in the past where individuals, for selfish gains, chose projects that have little or no benefits for the ‘benefiting’ communities.

    On his expectations for the partnerships, Mr Ekere said: “I look forward to working to deliver on the goals set out in the MoU and in the larger context, to make the Niger Delta the glorious, productive and constantly developing place we expect it to be.”

    From what is happening so far at the commission, the NDDC, since its foundation 18 years ago, has never been in a better stead than now to achieve the purpose for which it was set up in 1999.

     

     

  • How NDDC Hostel changed our lives, by Rivers varsity students

    How NDDC Hostel changed our lives, by Rivers varsity students

    Students of the Rivers State University (RSU) have explained how a 522-bed hostel donated to the school in 2015 by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) changed their lives. IBRAHIM ADEYEMI reports.

    It is almost two years after the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) donated a three-storey, 174-room Hall of Residence to the Rivers State University (RSU). The facilities in the hostel seem to have perpetually made students to be indebted to the agency for building what they described as “world-class edifice” to ease their accommodation challenges.

    To the students, the 522-bed NDDC hostel tells the story of a total turnaround in their quest to make their campus conducive for learning and research.

    The mood of the students was captured by the submission of a Mass Communication student, Evelyn Jumbo, who said: “NDDC has given us a beautifully built hostel that has stood out as a landmark edifice on the campus. It has made our stay on the campus pleasurable.”

    Even members of the university management team agreed that something remarkable had been added to the campus landscape. The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Blessing Didia, described the hostel as the most valuable structure in the school.

    According to him, the hostel was fitted with ancillary facilities, including a 20,000-gallon water tank linked to a water treatment plant, which provides steady water supply to the hostel complex. It also has space for super-markets and shops, easing students of stress. The hostel, he said, has students’ lounge, administrative offices, cybercafé, games rooms and facilities specially made for the physically-challenged students. The hostel is fully furnished and has a standby power generator in case of power outage.

    NDDC Governing Board Chairman, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), said the commission embarked on the interventionist mission to turn around education, which he described as one of the agency’s core priorities.

    Ndoma-Egba said youth education  remained a key factor that should be given attention to drive development. “If anyone wants to invest in a nation, education of the youth is the best option. For human beings to be resourceful, they must be healthy, motivated and educated,” he said.

    During a visit, the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Ibitoye Abosede, reassured leaders of the National Association of Niger Delta Students (NANDS) that the commission would continue to assist tertiary institutions in the Niger Delta region.

    Abosede harped on NDDC’s assistance to universities in the Niger Delta region in the area of accommodation and research facilities.

    He said apart from the hostel built in the RSU, six other prototype hostels had been delivered out of the 18 being constructed by the NDDC in all nine states that make up Niger Delta.

    He listed schools where other hostels are bing built to include Imo State University (IMSU); Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); University of Benin (UNIBEN); Delta State University (DELSU); Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUA), Umudike, and the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) Teaching Hospital.

    Speaking on the hostel, RSU VC, Prof Didia, said the management would remain grateful to the commission for investing in the project to alleviate accommodation challenges facing the school.

    The VC said:“RSU has students’ population of about 20,000 and only about 2,000 students could be accommodated in the school hostel before NDDC’s intervention. The joy of students is understandable, because the new hostel gives a great relief. Apart from providing the students a conducive place to sleep, the hostel also guarantees occupants’ security. It promotes healthy living and encourages academic excellence.”

    Prof Didia appealed to other government agencies and private organisations to emulate the NDDC’s gesture in contributing to the development of tertiary education by building schools’ capacities to promote quality learning.

    He said: “Development of education must be a collective effort of all stakeholders. As such, providing accommodation should also be a joint effort of all. This is what the NDDC has demonstrated with the construction of a modern hostel for the university.”

    The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Isaac Zeb-Obipi, said the hostel had reduced over-crowding in the school’s halls, while also promoting decent living.

    Zeb-Obipi said: “The NDDC hostel has reduced the pressure we are having in the area of providing accommodation for our students. This gesture is quite commendable. The NDDC deserves praise for coming to the aid of the university.”

    President of the National Union of Rivers State Students, Caleb Emmanuel, said the students would remain grateful to the NDDC for giving them a state-of-the-art facility that saved them from the dangers and difficulties of living outside the campus.

    He described NDDC’s intervention as timely, noting that a situation where students were forced to live off-campus made them susceptible to vices and crimes.

    Michael Amadi, a 300-Level Law student, said the NDDC Hostel was the best thing that had happened to the school in recent years.

    He said: “It is inadequate accommodation that forces many students to live off-campus and sometimes fall prey to cultism. Since more students are now accommodated on the campus, incidents of crimes and security breaches have reduced.”

    The University of Part Harcourt (UNIPORT) VC, Prof Ndowa Lale, whose school is billed to benefit from the NDDC’s intervention programme, said: “If UNIPORT can get 800 students, who are currently living off campus to live in the hostel, it will do us a lot of good. We appeal to the NDDC to complete and hand over the hostel being built to us as soon as possible.”

    Prof Lale pointed out that if there were more hostels on campus, students living off-campus would take advantage and join their colleagues for group studies and research.

  • Community bemoans contractor’s poor job

    Community bemoans contractor’s poor job

    The people of Ozuitem in Bende council area of Abia State are unhappy with the quality of work being done on one of their roads.

    They said the contractor handling the reconstruction of Uzuakoli-Ozuitem Road is doing a bad job.

    The contractor, Slok Holdings, engaged by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), ought to have done a better job.

    Speaking on behalf of the community, Ikechi Njoku said that the people were very happy when the contractor started working on the road and that having seen the road that they are worried over the poor quality of work being done by the contractor.

    Njoku said that his people who have been suffering over the poor standard of the road had expected that the road which has been bad for several years, when reconstruction starts would see the kind of road that would last for several years.

    He said, “Before now I has been trying to access funds to work on this road as our people have suffered enough, but am happy when NDDC started work on the road, however we are not happy with the quality, as it not the type of job both the presidency and NDDC should do”.

    “My people who are owners of the road need to know the terms of the contract, the length of the road, the amount quoted and how long it will take the contractor to finish the work; in fact there are many questions that we need answers for”.

    “We are happy that the reconstruction of this all important road has commenced but at the same time we are worried with the quality of work being executed by the contractor, we need a better quality work to be done if this road is to last for a long time”.

    Answering questions from newsmen if he is worried that the contractor is a local one, Njoku said that he is not quarreling with the contractor who is from the neighbouring community as doing a quality work will also benefit him and his community.

    He said, “I have no problems with the contractor handling the road as he is from the next community, I am a believer of local content and empowering the people but the company needs to improve on the quality of the work they are doing on this road”.

    Njoku said that the road which is being accessed by several communities in the Bende, Ohafia and Arochukwu local government areas is expected to witness heavy  traffic during the Christmas period, “So there is need quality work to be done”.

    In his own reaction Mba Adighibe noted that the project which is ongoing is already failing while erosion has started eating part of the road, stressing that the contractor Slok Holding need to look at the work they are doing in their own interest.

    Adighibe said that when the work started that there was no sign post to show the people the name of the contractor handling the project, “But when we started asking questions we suddenly saw Slok sign post which was how we came to know the name of the contractor handling the road”.

    He advised that the owners of the project which is NDDC should monitor the quality of work being executed by Slok the contractor at any level of the work for them to know if the project meets the stipulated standard they recommended for the work.

    Reacting also Samuel Oti from Isiegbu Ozuitem said that the road so far done is not of good quality, “We are asking the NDDC to ask the contractor to come back to site immediately if they want to save their image”.

  • Behind the waning militant activities in Niger Delta

    Behind the waning militant activities in Niger Delta

    IT came first as a hint from the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere. He had told the gathering at an event at the corporate headquarters of the commission on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that a self-styled General and former leader of one of the militant groups in the Niger Delta, Paul Eris a.k.a. Ogunboss had become a big time farmer and owner of a large rice farm in his Peremabiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    And that much would later be confirmed by Ogunboss himself who disclosed in an interview that he had become the Chief Executive Officer of Tanko’s Farms, an initiative he said was meant to create employment for the teeming population of jobless youths in the region, reduce violent crimes on the waterways of Bayelsa State and boost commercial rice production with an eye to making the nation self-reliant in terms of food.

    On account of this avowed mission, Ekere pledged the resolve of the NDDC to support Ognuboss and other people with similar initiatives in order to ensure the sustainable development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region and adequate empowerment of its people.

    But Ogunboss is not alone in the decision of former Niger Delta militants to jettison militancy and toe the path of responsible leadership. The leader of the Niger Delta Vigilance Movement, ‘General’ Ateke Tom, popularly called Godfather, who was at the forefront of militancy in the Niger Delta with his daring freedom fighters, recently became the the Amayanabo (king) of his Okochiri-Okrika community in Okrika LGA, Rivers State. His choice as community leader, it was gathered, was largely informed by his philanthropic gestures, peace-building efforts and empowerment of the youths in the area.

    Prior to his being declared wanted by the Federal Government for alleged fraud, another former militant leader in Delta State, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a. Tompolo had also jettisoned militancy and was believed to be attracting development to his area and empowering many people, especially youths.

    A few years ago, a former leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF) and former President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, an indigene of Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA of Rivers State, was at the forefront of militant activities in the Niger Delta region. He had taken over the creeks with his “boys” and confronted the Federal Government for refusing to develop the Niger Delta while Chief Olusegun Obasanjo held sway as the President of Nigeria, thereby reducing crude oil production and greatly inhibiting revenue generation.

    He was later arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and detained in Abuja for many months. His arrest heightened tension and led to vandalization of more oil pipelines, increase in illegal bunkering and formation of the dreaded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which was coordinating the activities of the militants.

    Asari was later released by the Federal Government, following which he decided to relocate to Benin Republic where he established a highbrow university.

    Many other ‘Generals’ were also involved in militancy in the Niger Delta, mainly to bring the plight of their people and underdevelopment in the region to the fore and attract development to the hitherto neglected part of the country.

    The Genesis

    Militancy in the Niger Delta began with agitations by the youths for resource control and commensurate development of the region. But it was later hijacked by criminals for pecuniary benefits, especially kidnapping for ransom and stealing crude oil in exchange for arms and ammunition with international collaborators across the Atlantic Ocean.

    The situation became so bad that five young boys with some locally-made guns would come together, establish a camp for militancy, appoint one of them as ‘General’ and start breaking pipelines and kidnapping expatriates for ransom. And when the militants could no longer see expatriates to kidnap, they started to seize Nigerians, demanding ridiculously high sums as ransom, thus making life unbearable for fellow citizens and causing them untold hardship.

    Simultaneously as ragtag militants harassed innocent citizens, the more coordinated “generals” continued to cause unrest and uncertainty in the Niger Delta and other parts of Nigeria.

    At the height of militancy about 10 years ago, the then militant leader, ‘General’ Ebikabowei Victor Ben a.k.a. Boyloaf, hosted some top Federal Government officials in his camp in the creek of Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State to discuss how peace could be restored in the Niger Delta. The reporter was part of the Federal Government’s entourage. But as they approached the militants’ camp in two speed boats, scores of gun-wielding warlords in army camouflage appeared in four speed boats with high-capacity engines and encircle the visitors, shooting sporadically in the air and into the river. It was only when one of Boyloaf’s commanders had identified the leaders of the team, a Bayelsan, that the shooting subsided.

    But there was a mild drama when they sighted a woman among the visitors. The militants did not only deny her access to the camp, they returned her in one of their speedboats to a nearby riverine community, where she waited till the end of the visit.

    The highly-fortified Boyloaf’s camp had many well-educated youths who went into militancy mainly because there were no employment opportunities even though some of them had master’s degrees.

    Right inside the expansive camp of Boyloaf was a big television set with direct satellite television facility to monitor events around the world and listen to news and monitor Nigerians who abused or insulted them. Brand new speed boat engines each costing about N500,000 and many AK-47 rifles, sub-machine guns and other sophisticated weapons were also on display in the camp.

    While waiting in Boyloaf’s living room in the camp as the Federal Government’s officials were having peace talks with the militant leader in another room, one of the hefty militants decided to point a sub-machine gun with a long chain of ammunition round his neck and body, to an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in uniform (name withheld), who had accompanied the team. The senior police officer almost melted on his seat for fear of being killed.

    It took the intervention of one of Boyloaf’s senior commanders for the gun to be moved away from the head of the ACP, who was not comfortable throughout the visit to the camp while the few journalists who were part of the team and were accustomed to seeing the militants in action were in a relaxed mood.

     

    Ugly experience

    Visiting a militants’ camp is always a Herculean task. A trusted journalist on a visit to the creeks would have to receive instructions through his mobile phone on how to move or join various speedboats, before the “Generals” would eventually give directives to their commanders to grant access.

    The militants had threatened to inhibit the production of crude oil and gas if there was no commensurate development in the Niger Delta by the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies; a feat they accomplished with the bombing of pipelines, illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other criminal activities. The situation became unbearable when the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was at the helm of affairs, causing the administration to on June 25, 2009 proclaim a 60-day unconditional amnesty for militants in the Niger Delta.

    On the strength of the amnesty, many of the militants surrendered large cache of arms and ammunition, gunboats, speed boats, dynamites and other dangerous weapons. They also surrendered military and police uniforms as well as other items that were later destroyed.

    In return, the Federal Government pledged to institute programmes to help the ex-agitators’ disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation, and to provide reintegration assistance. It also said that the amnesty programme would contribute to security stabilisation in the Niger Delta.

    Most of the repentant militants are being trained in various skills, while many of them are given opportunities to further their studies in Nigeria and overseas, some of them graduating with First Class. The 30,000 repentant militants are also receiving monthly stipends, although with complaint that some of their leaders were short-changing them.

    A former Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, was appointed as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), and he tried his best to return peace to the region, leading to sudden increase in crude oil and gas production.

    Alaibe was succeeded by a former member of Ondo State House of Assembly, Kingsley Kuku, who is receiving medical attention overseas for an undisclosed ailment but has also been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud.

    The current Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), recently revealed that more than 10,000 youths would be recruited to protect oil installations in the region.

    Boroh, who said the decision was a fall-out of recent interaction between the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and leaders of the Pan Niger-Delta Forum (PANDEF), also disclosed that the Federal Government had invested huge sums in the programme.

    New peace efforts

    Considering the need for sustained peace in the Niger Delta for steady crude oil production, the Federal Government decided to begin quick impact projects, particularly in the creeks of the region. Boroh, while recently making the disclosure, named the oil-bearing communities of Gelegele and Gbaramatu Kingdom in Edo and Delta states respectively, as some of the immediate beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s programme.

    He also hinted that the presidential amnesty office had begun the training of no fewer than 200 youths at the Samson Siasia-run Sia One Academy, to extend the frontiers of peace in the region, through sporting activities like football, boxing, weightlifting and track events.

    The amnesty coordinator is also advocating a shift from crude oil to agriculture.

    He said: “As an officer in the army, I took to farming, believing that it is the future of the country and that on a personal level, I could better sustain my family. Our lands are so fertile that I did not need much fertiliser. The inputs were minimal and the yields were much. Our climate, by God’s grace, is predictable. It rains when it should rain and the sun shines when it should. So, why not take advantage of what nature has freely given us as Nigerians?

    “When in July 2015, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, appointed me Special Adviser on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, I had the primary responsibility of streamlining the programme and transforming it back on track, working for peace in the Niger Delta and sustainably reintegrating some 30,000 amnesty beneficiaries back into society.

    “Although, we have various integration programmes, which include education, vocational training, professional training in aviation and maritime, automobile engineering, entrepreneurial training and tourism and hospitality, I had no doubt that the best way to integrate such a huge number of beneficiaries quickly and sustainably, is through aquaculture and agriculture.”

    Boroh also believes that investment in agriculture would require a lot of planning and painstaking implementation, stressing that like other programmes, he and members of his team had to conceptualise, plant, culture and water the ideas to the germination and harvest stages.

    He said: “Agriculture creates mass sustainable jobs and empowerment. Advanced technology and high yield varieties ensure good harvest. Costs can be drastically reduced by building locally fabricated integrated feed mills, which rely entirely on local products. Our country of over 180 million people is a huge market in itself and additionally, the West African region provides a market that is more or less limitless.

    “Taking to agriculture, Nigeria is moving towards food self- sufficiency and security. I am happy at the level of enthusiasm for agriculture among amnesty beneficiaries. The Presidential Amnesty Office has trained and begun to empower amnesty beneficiaries in crop farming, fishery and poultry.

    “As at June, 2017, 1,000 amnesty beneficiaries across the nine oil producing states are being trained in agriculture and will be empowered to establish their own farms. The training in agriculture is designed as a full value chain, from farming, production, processing, packaging, marketing to agri-business management.

    “Some leaders of the amnesty beneficiaries have bought our argument that building houses is not sustainable, as they have to be serviced and maintained. But in contrast, taking to agriculture is a money-yielding venture. Many of them have been brought into the agriculture revolution.”

    The amnesty coordinator also described crude oil as a wasting asset, stressing that it might dry up in the foreseeable future. But he believes that agriculture would enrich all Nigerians, calling on the citizens to start with the basic policy of eating only what they grow and growing what they eat, and insisting that change should begin with each person.

    He admonished amnesty beneficiaries to take advantage of the Federal Government’s focus on agriculture, including the liberal loans like the Central Bank’s Anchor Borrowers Programme and those of the Bank of Industry.

    He said: “In spite of the financial challenges, the Amnesty Office in 2016 trained 208 beneficiaries in agriculture, 59 as pilots and aeronautical engineers, 120 in automobile, 70 in electronics and 80 in Plastic Technology, 146 beneficiaries were trained in Maritime, 36 in Scaffolding/Rigging, 25 in Transformer Repairs and Maintenance, 70 in ICT and 63 in Heavy Duty Equipment.

    “In education, a total of 1,135 amnesty beneficiaries graduated from foreign and local universities, with 34 of them graduating with First Class and 105 in Second Class Upper Division.”

    The special adviser on Niger Delta also lauded the people of the Niger Delta for keying into the peace and development programmes of President Buhari in the region.

    Only last week, 200 ex-militants graduated from the Innoson-Kiara Academy, Nnewi in Anambra State, as part of the Batch-B graduation, and they underwent nine months intensive course in automobile manufacturing, engineering and maintenance. The ex-agitators presented three vehicles: 18-seater bus, 4 x 4 wheel truck and a 32-seater bus, which they assembled from the scratch to the finish.

    Coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme, during the graduation of the former warlords, stated that they had made President Buhari and the Federal Government proud in their performance during the training.

    In 2016, the same academy trained 120 ex-militants in automobile technology and 80 others in plastic manufacturing, while the first batch manufactured a 32-seater bus and various plastic products as part of their coursework.

    In spite of the efforts of the Federal Government, through the Presidential Amnesty Office and other initiatives, however, some youths of the Niger Delta are still going into militancy, mostly for pecuniary benefits.