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Tag: Niger Delta Development Commission

  • ‘Those against NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom are enemies of progress’

    ‘Those against NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom are enemies of progress’

    Mr. Nkeneke Efo, former Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, is the Co-ordinating Secretary, Partners for Peace and Progress(PPP) in the Niger Delta. In this interview, he says the politics surrounding the projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in Akwa Ibom State, is capable of impeding the progress of the area. Excepts:

    First anniversary of NDDC Board

    One year is so short a time to properly assess whether they have done well or not, but given the nature of the duty expected of the board by the people of the Niger Delta, I would say even a day is enough to asses them. The current NDDC board led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the management led by Sir Nsima Ekere, is probably the most popular of all the ones that have been there since the inception of the commission. Everybody seems to know there is an NDDC, especially in Akwa Ibom State, where the board was mostly seen through the activities of those who held prominent positions there. At present, the commission is seen more  through its commitment to the fulfillment of its mandate. The current board has tried very well to change the narrative of the Niger Delta story. The story they met on ground was not good at all. The preface was still about a commission set up with a mandate to clear the mess of squalor, deprivation, degradation, inequality and lack of development in the region through planned interventions in areas like public infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and other areas that can aid it achieve the mandate.

    You could call the NDDC mandate that of an alternate government for the region, a sort of helpmate for governments-local and state-in the region. Chapter one was filled with plenty of awarded and abandoned contracts. Chapter two was filled with financial and other liabilities running into hundreds of billions, mostly from jobs not completed, some completed but not of quality and some not even started at all. Chapter Three was an organisation with an agreed way of carrying out business as usual, with no care about whether the mandate of the commission was being fulfilled. Chapter Four was that of indigenes of the area seeing the commission as a cash cow that needed to be milked dry at the expense of doing what it was created to do. That was why elders could support youths to stop contractors on site and blackmail them and the commission into parting with funds that would have been used to develop the region. The Chapters in the book Ekere and co met on ground are endless but thanks to the new board, a new book is being written.

    Some of the new Chapters has already been completely been rewritten within the last year. For example, the number of contracts had been streamlined. In most fora, the MD has said most of the contracts they met  were not necessary and a lot of us know this is true. There is no need for some of the contracts that were awarded in the past. Even the costs of some of them were over bloated. I have seen a contract paper for a Water Supply contract – just overhead tank, reticulation and distribution to about a kilometer radius at N150Million. I mean just one. So, the Ekere management has streamlined all that. They have also cancelled non-performing contracts up to 600 in number and they are still cancelling. NDDC job papers were flying everywhere without any contractor on site. That was in the past. Now, I hear that if you don’t move to site in two months, your contract is gone. I also know that contractors who worked well but were owed are being paid. The days of people going to hold the commission for ransom and collecting monies that should have been used for development is also gone.

    Quality of NDDC projects

    Yes, the same political reasoning is prompting agents of government to do this.

    Those actually politicising NDDC intervention projects are enemies of progress. For them, those bad roads the commission rehabilitated were better left undone. And the funny thing is, most of these roads were not accessible, some were in various states of deplorable conditions and mostly unmotorable.

    And what NDDC did was carry out emergency remedial repairs on those failed portions which were unmotorable. You can read that on their signposts and even in the contract papers given to contractors who do the work. None of the contractors was told to go and construct a road. But some of them even go ahead to do more than remedial repairs. And because it is done by NDDC, they complain and fight development. Yet the same state government has a Road Maintenance Agency which carries out emergency road maintenance. How does it do it? By mostly patching potholes and areas where roads have failed. And nobody complains. The complaints by government is obviously political.

    Like the one the Commissioner is making noise about, the Youth Avenue was already on going but the NDDC contractor stopped work at the start of the rain. When he went back to work, he was chased out by the state commissioner for Works and his agents and security. According to him, the Governor had awarded the job to a contractor on a Sunday when he came for a church service in the area. You wonder why a contract was awarded on a Sunday in church without an FGPC meeting and why on a road that was being done by the NDDC.

    If I want to take them on, I will tell them to go and look for other failed roads and help carry out remedial repairs on them. In Uyo, there are so many. Not to talk of in other parts of the state. The Government has only done one complete new in Uyo, the Information Avenue which was started by Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Administration. The Works Commissioner, who is leading the assault on NDDC roads should say why, in two years, he has completed only one road in the whole of Uyo. He has a lot to do than to be bothered by NDDC roads and projects?

    Why should he not be bothered about the quality of the projects?

    Because he is not an NDDC project monitor. The Commission has project monitors just like the state government has. If the people of the area are bothered, they know how to petition the contractors to the NDDC. He could have as well complained to the NDDC, not to take laws in his hands and got to site to deal with a contractor that he didn’t engage in the first place. The NDDC also does not pay for shoddy jobs. focused on his duties.

    What’s the way forward

    The way forward is for government to partner with NDDC and NDDC to partner with government. On it’s part, I have noticed that the NDDC is trying to do this by helping government carryout remedial repairs on its roads and donating to hospitals, schools and communities. On the part of government, I see a cold shoulder. I have heard of rejection of assistance for hospitals. I have heard of rushed contract awards on roads earmarked for rehabilitation or construction by the NDDC. This is not good for the peace, progress and development of the region. The state government should do its own work and allow the NDDC do theirs. Quality assurance on its jobs should be left to the NDDC. Afterall, they are the ones to pay for those jobs and they have assured us that they do not pay for shoddy jobs, and we believe them.

     

  • NDDC pledges support for Niger Delta Universities

    NDDC pledges support for Niger Delta Universities

    The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has stated its resolve to support the development of infrastructure in universities and polytechnics across the Niger Delta.
    The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba stated this during a courtesy visit by the Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar [UNICAL], Prof. Zana Itiunbe Akpagu, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
    Senator Ndoma-Egba said that the main resource of any society could be found in its youths and not the natural resources or minerals. For this reason, he said, the youths must be skilled, motivated, educated and empowered. “If the youths are not properly educated, skilled or motivated, rather than be a blessing to the society, they become a curse,” he noted.
    He remarked: “We are concerned that our youths must remain a resource and not a curse to our region. That is why we are partnering with universities and higher institutions in the Niger Delta region to educate and produce some of the best minds the country will have to offer.”
    Senator Ndom-Egba said that the NDDC was making efforts to ensure that all on-going projects in the universities in the Niger Delta states were completed, especially in the University of Calabar being one of the oldest universities in the South-South.
    The NDDC board Chairman assured the UNICAL VC, that the Faculty of Law building which was on-going, would not only be completed, but would also be furnished, and would stand out to be one of the best Faculties in the country.
    Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Akpagu, thanked the Commission for all its interventions in his University and all other universities in the Niger Delta.
     He appealed to the Commission to intervene in its building of an Ultra Modem Medical Center, noting that since the inception of the university in 1975, the Centre had operated from a 4-room apartment, but with the current population of 46,000 students, the facility had become grossly inadequate.
    He also pleaded with the Commission for a massive expansion, stating that UNICAL was the only Second Generation University without an Engineering Faculty.
     He further pleaded for a provision of a Proper Senate building, stressing that the current Senate building was built to accommodate 5 Senate members, but the School had grown and currently had 450 Senate members.
  • Cheers for NDDC over harvest of projects

    Cheers for NDDC over harvest of projects

    Obong Nsima Ekere’s time as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is causing excitement in Akwa Ibom State and other parts of the Niger Delta.  Stakeholders recenly rolled out the drums to celebrate what the commission has done for them.

    They applauded the interventions of the commission.

    Community leader in Mbo, Akwa Ibom, Chief Effiong Eduno, said the NDDC has really touched the lives of the people.

    He said the commission has built  model schools in nine  states of the Niger Delta, Akwa Ibom inclusive. This is in addition to the provision of scholarships to students of secondary and tertiary institutions from its catchment areas.

    Available records also indicated that the NDDC had  committed itself to 890 projects and 62 emergency repair works across the state. Official of the commission noted that of the 890 projects, the agency has completed and inaugurated 160 while 281 already completed are waiting commissioning.

    Some of the major projects of the commission in the state include the 12.5km Okoita-Itu-Mbak Atai-Ikot Ntuen-Mkpeti-Oku Iboku road in Itu, the 10.125km Ididep-Ekpenyong-Ikot Etim Afaha Itiat road in Ibiono Ibom, the 30km Nsasak junction-Akon road in Essien Udim and 6.7km Iwuochang-Okorutip road project with 600m bridge span bridge.

    Others are the 4.9km Oku Iboku internal roads in Itu, construction of a community centre at Ibiaku Ishiet along Airport road, renovation of hostels, dinning and kitchen at Methodist Boys High School, Oron, maintenance/dredging of creek at Esit Eket and Okoroitak in Ibeno, on-going construction of a specialist hospital at the main campus of the Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin local government area.

    Comrade Ndarake Eshiet, a native of Iwuochang in Ibeno local government area, said  the construction the 6.7km Iwuochang-Okorutip road project with 600m bridge span bridge had opened the council to new opportunities.

    Eshiet added that  life was hellish and unbearable for his people before the bridge was constructed.

    ‘’I must confess that before this bridge was built life was very difficult for us. We didn’t have access to other places. There many villages around here besides my village but movement of people and goods were impossible.

    ‘’We are fishermen; getting our fishes outside our communities for people to buy was a herculean task. There was no development of any kind. Before the bridge, it was very difficult to access medical treatment for our sick because you can’t even leave this place to get treatment in hospitals in Ukpenekang or other places. Due to this challenge, so many of our people died.

    ‘’But the story has changed now. The bridge has brought visitors and development to our communities. Our sufferings have been substantially reduced and all I can say is that we are grateful to the NDDC’’.

    David John Ikwo, another native of Iwouchang, said with the NDDC bridge, accidents resulting to deaths and other losses from boat mishaps are now a thing of the past.

    ‘’The bridge has really helped from boat tragedies which usually occurred in the past. Boats used to capsize leading to deaths and loss of valuable properties. And before dead bodies are recovered it takes up to three days to four days. I thank God because we don’t have such sad experiences again.’’

    Idem Alexander, from Oruk Anam Local Government Area, said he relocated back to Iwuochang because the NDDC had brought a  lease of life to the people.

    ‘’Before NDDC constructed this bridge, visitors were not coming to this part of Ibeno. Now visitors from different areas in the state and beyond are pouring into this community and other villages around. I am welder and decided to open up my workshop here because people now have access to this community.

    ‘’My appeal to the NDDC is that it come complete the sections of the road, that is from Okorutip to Ntafre and from Iko to Atabrikang-Ntafre. This stretch of road is supposed to lead to Akpaden in Mkpat Enin but work on these sections of the road has delayed for too long and that has also affected my businesses and other businesses in the area’’, Ikwo said.

    Chief Ntekpere Akpanusoh, a resident of the street, said: ‘’It won’t be wrong if one says that the repairs of Nsentip Street deserves a testimony in the church. The road has been abandoned for so many years.

    ‘’The first day we saw caterpillars and tractors moving into the street for work to start, residents filled up the street in jubilation, all praise to the NDDC for coming to our rescue.

    ‘’The NDDC intervention has erased the memory of our suffering over the years. The Commission has done extremely excellent for us.”

    At Udo Eduok/Itiam Street in Uyo, a resident, said: ‘’Before now the entire stretch of the road and adjoining streets used to be waterlogged and that made life extremely difficult for us.

    ‘’It was one of the worst roads within Uyo, the state capital.”

     

  • My battles with beggars at NDDC’s gates -MD

    My battles with beggars at NDDC’s gates -MD

    The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, is a former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State. In this interview with our Bureau Chief in Port Harcourt, BISI OLANIYI, and select journalists, he explains why the commission recently cancelled over 600 projects and terminated contracts worth N200 billion across the nine states of the Niger Delta. He also says the NDDC is determined to go after all the contractors who got money from the agency but abandoned the project sites. He explains the reasons for the strain relationship between the commission and the governors of the Niger Delta region and speaks on the running battles the commission has been having with beggars at its headquarters, among other issues.

    There are contractors who even before they are awarded contracts have the mind-set that they are coming to defraud the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the region. What steps are you taking to ensure that such persons are punished?

    First of all, I will like to acknowledge the efforts of the last board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Conscious of the fact that some contractors are fixated on just getting the projects, getting the money and running away, they came up with a policy and they stopped making advance payment for projects. Even though before now all advance payments that were made by the commission were backed by payment guarantees from banks, some people were still able to beat the system. So, they came up with the idea of stopping to give advance payments. It is good and then it is bad, but we are determined to go after all the contractors who got money from NDDC and abandoned their project sites.

    And we are not going after the contractors alone; we are also going after the banks that issued the payment guarantees. We have already recovered about N60 million from the banks. We have a committee that is working on it. So, we want to ensure that all NDDC funds that are in the hands of contractors and projects have not been executed to match the funds that have been paid out, we recover the money. We are also going to prosecute the contractors involved. We are working with the Office of Mr. President on the prosecution of defaulting contractors.

    Is there a way of getting economic direction for NDDC’s projects?

    That is exactly what I have been talking about. By the time we update the master plan, we will have an integrated development master plan for the region, so that every project that is done will be in the master plan. That will almost drastically reduce or eliminate the incident of having stand-alone projects or duplication of projects.

    We had cases in the past where the state government would be doing a project and NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs would be doing the same project. We had a particular case where a state government had awarded a project to a contractor, money had been paid, but NDDC awarded the same project to another contractor with money paid, and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs awarded the same project and money was also paid to a different contractor, because there was no coordination.

    The development agencies must partner and engage one another to know what they are doing. Duplication of projects will then be eliminated. The idea of competition among government agencies must be totally avoided. In the new focus of engagement with the relevant stakeholders, such will be a thing of the past.

    What is happening to the overseas scholarship scheme of NDDC and why were some of your scholars abandoned?

    NDDC does not have the intention and will never abandon any of its scholars. When we came in, I do not want to say fraud, but we discovered that there were a lot of discrepancies in the way the scholarship programme was being administered. When you award scholarships, these scholarships are for studies abroad. We found that monies were paid to people who were still in Nigeria, and we did not see why that should happen.

    There were cases where people got admissions for certain courses in certain universities and got approved for NDDC scholarship, but along the line, because there is a fixed amount that is paid to every scholar, some of them would go to other universities for different programmes than they got the scholarships for, just because the universities were cheaper. But NDDC’s record would indicate different information about the scholars only for the commission to be receiving completely different invoice from the same students.

    Also, on course of study, NDDC has areas to concentrate on: to develop manpower and specialist personnel. We discovered that some of them had gone to other courses, different from what they were approved for. Then we set up a committee in-house to look into all the discrepancies and resolve them.

    Fortunately, within two weeks of setting up the committee, the first set of disbursements was made for the people that had no issue whatsoever. They continued working. Just recently, we made another set of release for over 80 of the scholars. What is remaining is just a very negligible number, which we are still working on and we intend to resolve. Some of our scholars with genuine cases, I sympathise with what they are going through. Anytime we see a genuine case, we treat it immediately. We understand what they are going through, but a lot of people have abused the scholarship scheme.

    A lot of people have defrauded the Federal Government, using the NDDC scholarship scheme, because the funds are paid in dollars and other foreign currencies. A lot of people wanted access to foreign currencies and they would pretend that they were NDDC scholars, when sometimes they were not. So, these are the problems we have had and why it had taken time and why some of the scholars did not get their monies on time.

    The assurance I want to give to all genuine NDDC scholars is that they will most definitely receive their due disbursements. It may take time and we regret the delay and the hardships. But we are doing everything possible to ensure that we resolve the issues and we release the funds to them as soon as possible.

    It was alleged that NDDC recently pulled out of the partnership with the Rivers State Government on the building of the Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt. Why that?

    NDDC did not pull out of the partnership. Rather, it was the Rivers State Government. Because as part of the programmes the administration was trying to do for the 50th anniversary of the creation of Rivers State, the Rivers State Government did us a letter, which we are still looking into, informing us that it wanted to pull out of the project.

    We are still looking into the details to see the way we can resolve the issue. Rivers State Government is our host government, and we have a very good and robust relationship with it. We are in tandem and we will continue with the good and robust relationship with the state government and indeed all the state governments in the Niger Delta region.

    So, we will try the very best we can to reduce and eliminate areas of conflict with our state governments. That we are committed to doing and we are working on it.

    You have just stated that you have a cordial relationship with the Rivers State government and the governments of the eight other states in the Niger Delta region. But just on July 13 this year, at Bori Camp, during the operationalisation of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, which you attended along with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 6 Division, Maj.-Gen Enobong Udoh, who is also from Akwa Ibom State; the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; and other eminent personalities, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in his remarks, said: “The Rivers State government is not having a good relationship with the NDDC.” What is responsible for the strained relationship and what is the way forward?

    Our target in the current board and management of NDDC is to ensure that we have a very cordial relationship with not just the Rivers State Government, which is our host state government, but with other state governments in the Niger Delta region.

    The major problem in the past was the disconnect between the NDDC and the state governments in the projects being planned and executed in the respective states. I have had a meeting with His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and he highlighted the key areas that he had concerns about. We need to engage with the government of Rivers State and indeed the governments of all the Niger Delta states, because the projects that we want to do are in their states. They (governors of the nine states in the Niger Delta) must know about what we are doing, so that there will be no conflict and we do not have to duplicate projects in the states. So, we are going to keep engaging more with the Rivers State Government and all the governments in the region. One thing that we have done differently, since we assumed office, is that we set up state budget committees.

    In drawing up budgets for the various states, we set up state budget committees that will sit down with their state governments and look at the development plan and agree on projects, based on the needs analysis that was done by our consultants, so that there will be no conflict with the state government and there will be no duplication of projects.

    We must agree that these are the areas we want to focus on, because the state governments and NDDC, we do not have infinite funds. We have got to be able to agree. The little resources that we have, how will they be deployed? So that we have the greatest good for our people and for the region. That is the problem that we had, but we believe that with more engagements with the relevant stakeholders and the state governments, these problems will be eliminated and the relationships, which we actually crave, will be very good, will be developed and will be better.

    The National Assembly members took steps to amend the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company Act and NDDC has interest in the amendment. But Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, recently declared that he would mobilise other governors in the Niger Delta region to resist or oppose the amendment. What is your take on the crucial matter?

    NDDC is committed to continuously improve the engagements that we have with the respective state governments in the Niger Delta region, to agree on the projects to do. Generally, the needs of the Niger Delta region are well known. They are there for everybody and all the development points to see. If you engage more with the relevant stakeholders, areas of conflict will be eliminated. That is what we are committed to doing.

    What is your reaction to the underfunding of NDDC, especially the refusal of the oil companies to properly support the commission, the disagreements on funds to be contributed to the Federal Government’s interventionist agency and huge funds still yet to be released to NDDC by the Federal Government, as its contribution to the commission?

    It is true that there have been disagreements in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Finance and NDDC over what should actually be paid to NDDC, in accordance with the provisions of the NDDC Act.

    We did a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on this. Fortunately, Mr. President has directed that we (NDDC officials) should sit together with officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning to set up a reconciliation committee that will reconcile exactly what has been paid, what is supposed to be paid and then when we know what is due us and what is outstanding, we will agree on a payment plan, based on the resources available to the Federal Government. Something acceptable between NDDC and the Federal Government.

    We believe that this is going to be resolved and then the Federal Government will make good its contributions to NDDC’s funds.

    How much is the Federal Government owing NDDC?

    From our records, we have something in the neighbourhood of about N1.7 trillion that is outstanding, in favour of NDDC.

    There is a reconciliation presently going on, as directed by President Buhari. At the end of the reconciliation, we intend that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office will have one figure and NDDC will have the same figure, so that we know that it is exactly what it is and the Federal Government will work towards the payment.

    There is the slogan that without the contractors, there can be no NDDC. Some of the contractors have been grumbling that every new board/management of NDDC comes and awards fresh contracts, abandoning old projects. What is your management going to do about the payment plan for executed projects?

    If you look at the framework of the present budget that we are doing, we have 60:40 split. 60 per cent for ongoing projects and 40 per cent for new projects. That is what we are doing. In view of the number of all ongoing projects, we cannot realistically take on all of them. We have set up a committee. We are looking at the projects that will deliver the greatest good to our communities and the region.

    Then, we will prioritise those projects that we can complete very quickly, that will give the highest impact for the people of the host communities and the region. Then, we will concentrate on them. And we are advocating 40 per cent of our budget to continue with those projects. The rest will take care of overheads, staff and new projects. We are not going to go that much into brand-new projects, except the regional projects that will be deliberately targeted at creating an integrated regional economy. Those are mostly the new projects that we are going to start. Otherwise, the concentration will be working on the projects that are already ongoing. So that we can deliver on them for the good of our people and the Niger Delta region.

    What are you doing to engage idle youths of the Niger Delta, thereby discouraging them from going into militancy, cultism, youth restiveness, kidnapping, sea piracy, armed robbery, assassination and other criminal activities, and what is NDDC doing about youths who are always begging visitors for money at the gates of the commission’s corporate headquarters on Aba Road, Port Harcourt?

    It is unfortunate that some youths are hanging at the gates. When we resumed, we found that there was a group of young people who usually stayed around the gates of the NDDC. We understand that some of the beggars had been there right from the inception of the NDDC in 2000. We also understand that some of them have even benefitted from training programmes that NDDC had over the years. After the programmes, they would get the starter packs, but unfortunately, they would sell them off and go back to the gates. I had to ask the staff of the commission if it is more profitable to remain at the gates as beggars than to be employed. This is one of the larger problems of the region.

    We need to change the mind set of our youths and our people. We need to restructure their thinking. They should think more of sustainable economic activities than just harassing people and receiving money from them. That attitude and that very unfortunate way of thinking are partly responsible for the problems we have had in the region. Most of the businesses that were here (Niger Delta) have moved out.

    So, we will keep working with the youths. We are committed to developing a sustainable economic model that will get the youths engaged and get them employed in sustainable livelihoods. Most of the training programmes that NDDC had done over the years and what we are going to do, going forward, will be geared and tailored towards ensuring that the beneficiaries are involved in meaningful and sustainable economic activities. We have many skill acquisition programmes in agriculture, aquaculture and welding, among others. The idea is to get our youths properly trained in the right skills that the oil and gas industry needs, so that they will be useful for themselves, being engaged in oil and gas companies and they will also provide the needed manpower that the oil and gas industry needs.

    We also had many kinds of skill acquisition training like sewing. Recently, we had catering, home management, food processing and other kinds of ventures. So, we are looking at an entire package and a new way of developing skills’ acquisition, training, equipping them with the right skills that will make them useful to themselves and to the society. Another thing that we are thinking of doing is direct support to Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs). And we are going to work with the relevant development partners and institutions, to achieve these for a very long term.

    There is something that we have also discovered that we must deliberately do. Ordinarily, the Niger Delta is one region in this country that does not attract industrial activities. The people in the Niger Delta are in the region mainly to exploit hydrocarbons, the natural products that God has helped us with, the natural resources that we have in the region. The Niger Delta is a region that has over nine months of rainfall in a year. Over 70 per cent of the core Niger Delta states are below sea level. The terrain is not very friendly/attractive, because of the cost of development. That is why the infrastructure in the Niger Delta is very expensive to build, because of the very peculiar terrain. It is a rain forest and you have infestations of mosquitoes and all kinds of natural challenges, making the region less attractive for investments and industrialisation. So, we must come up with a well-articulated plan to attract businesses and investments to the Niger Delta region. That is the way we are thinking. We are articulating it. There is a programme right now, which we are working with our consultants on and we shall be able to unveil it in the next couple of months.

  • NGO seeks more funding of NDDC

    The Community Watch of Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Federal Government to release more funds for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for project execution.

    The Coordinator of the NGO, Chief Samingo Etukakpan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  in Yenagoa that inadequate funds had hindered the performance of the NDDC.

    He appealed to the Federal Government to assist the commission to enable it to execute projects for the wellbeing of the people.

    Etukakpan said that Niger Delta people would only feel the impact of NDDC through its execution of projects that would improve their lives.

    “The commission cannot achieve any tangible development without adequate funds,’’ he told NAN.

    The coordinator urged that the government should give priority attention to NDDC to facilitate development in Niger Delta.

    He applauded the leadership of the commission for efforts to develop the region is spite of funds constraint.

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  • Embrace the Niger Delta master plan – NDDC urges monarchs

    Embrace the Niger Delta master plan – NDDC urges monarchs

    The Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) has urged traditional rulers in the South-South region of the country to embrace the master plan of the Niger Delta region.

    The NDDC Chairman, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, stated this when he received the delegation of the South-South Monarchs Forum led by King Edmund Daukoru, the Amayanabo of Nembe in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    A statement by Mr Ibitoye Abosede, Director Corporate Affairs of The Commission, disclosed that the chairman decried the abandonment of the master plan shortly after it was launched in 2007.

    “We must return to the Master Plan. We have to agree on whether to terminate the current Master Plan, update it or upgrade it. And we need the traditional institution to play a role in this process,” he said.

    Ndoma-Egba stated that a comprehensive plan was necessary for any meaningful development and progresses to take place.

    He said that the NDDC was collaborating with state governments as partners rather than alternatives or competitors for the overall development of the region.

    According to the chairman, the region need to be united in all its activities to achieve the desired peace and development in the Niger Delta.

    He added: “There is no doubt that the South-South region has to speak with one voice and that is why engagements of this nature are very important because it will help us find a common ground.

    “It will help us synchronize our thoughts and our ideas so that whenever and wherever we speak as leaders of the South-South, whether as traditional rulers or political leaders, we speak with one voice.

    “I believe that the reality on ground is that the traditional institution plays a role in ensuring peace, mobilizing for development, providing a forum for dialogue, or providing a framework for furthering an action with others in this country.”

    On his part, Daukoru said that the landscape of the Niger Delta was dotted with “fruits from the Commission.”

    “We are ready to partner with NDDC and give you all the encouragement you need and we are hoping that we will see a bit more of you in terms of outreach through us to the grassroots people.

    “We also want to act as a channel and an advocacy institution for you so that through us, you will be able to communicate to the people whatever opportunities are open that they can participate more effectively.”

    Daukoru, who was a former Minister of Petroleum, decried the past neglect of the Niger Delta, stressing that the monarchs are the “missing ingredient” needed to galvanize positive development in the region.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

  • Jubilation, excitement greet news of Calabar-Itu reconstruction project

    Jubilation, excitement greet news of Calabar-Itu reconstruction project

    Jubilation, excitement and high expectations have greeted the news of the award of the contract of the Calabar-Itu High in Cross River state.

    The Ministers of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had on Wednesday announced that N54.172 billion has been approved for Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene route linking Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

    The Calabar-Itu road, one of two roads, which lead out of the state, has been in a deplorable state for almost thirty years.

    The other road, the Calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja Highway still remains in poor condition.

    The Calabar-Itu Road, which appears to be most strategic and economically viable of these two as it the shortest route to other South-South and South-East states, was worse off.

    Besides the accidents that occur on the road and lives lost frequently, it is often that commuters have had to spend days on the road because of trucks that fall, causing serious traffic jams.

    Due to the state of the roads, residents have always felt like they are being cut off from the rest of the country.

    Constant protests, pleadings, petitions and news reports among others have over the years done nothing to attract relevant authorities to do something about the situation.

    Only last year, the Niger Delta Development Commission carried out remedial work on the road, by resurfacing it, alleviating the sufferings of the people a bit.

    But following the announcement of the award of contract of the reconstruction of the road to Julius Berger, there has been renewed hope and excitement among residents and commuters.

    Mr Uche Emeka, who works for a transport agency however begged the government to ensure that the project is seen through.

    “We in the transport business are so happy with this development. You know how the situation has been with us. A journey of one hour to Uyo was taking up to two whole days or even more. You are aware of the accidents, broken down vehicles and people sleeping on the road and exposed to all manner of dangers. We thank God for the remedial work they did last year, but that road, as we know needs total reconstruction. We thank God that he has finally brought someone that has listened to our cries. The benefit of that road when completed cannot be quantified. If I want to talk of the benefits, I will fill up your newspaper. So I only want to say we are grateful to this government and beg them to please ensure it is done.”

    A businessman, Chukwudi Okafor, also said, “The advantage of that road cannot be overestimated. Naturally prices of things would go down when it is completed. Going to Aba, Onitsha and others to get goods to bring down here to sell has been a nightmare on that road. Travelling became a nightmare and for those of us who depend on the road to survive daily, our suffering was unbearable. We have cried over the years and nothing has happened and now we are receiving news that it is going to be constructed. I can only say thank God and thank this government. The only advice I have is that they should please not abandon it. They have raised our hopes and they should not leave us hanging.

    “For me I want to believe that they are serious this time because for any persons that gives a contract to Julius Berger, it means such a person is serious about what he is doing. We are so happy.”

    A resident of Calabar, “Mr Asuquo Effiong also said, “We are so favoured to have this government. In spite of all the negativity this government is getting especially from this part of the country they are still going ahead to make our lives better. I only plead that that road should be completed. I would not bother you with how we have suffered on that road. Even you Mr Journalist, I am sure you have also suffered trying to bring in your newspaper through that road. So you see, it is a problem that has affected everyone one of us enormously. So I am begging you, keep writing and disturbing them until that road is completed. Do not allow them to rest until the job is delivered.

    “My only other plea is that the Calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja road and the Calabar-Ikang road, which are also in deplorable conditions, should also receive the same treatment. If the Federal Government would do this for us, we would eternally remain grateful.”

    National Vice Chairman (South South Zone) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ntufam Hilliard Eta has described the approval of the N54billion Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Highway reconstruction by the Federal Executive Council as a demonstration of the APC led government commitment to religiously fulfill its part of the social contract with the people of the South South Zone of the country.

    Eta who reacted to news of the approval in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Bassey Ita said the APC leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari had assured the people of the area of fixing basic infrastructures that will improve on their living conditions.

    ”During the campaigns we had assured of our Government’s commitment to improved living conditions through infrastructural development for the people of the South South and Niger Delta as a whole.

    ”The approval of the reconstruction work on the Calabar – Itu – Ikot Ekpene Highway is therefore a step in the direction of fulfilling that promise,” he said.

    According to him, much as political parties canvass for support and votes from the electorate, it is the duty of the government in power to keep its side of the social contract for getting their votes.

    He said with this development, President Muhammadu Buhari has further up his integrity rating as a promise keeper adding that the people of the area are eternally grateful to the APC government to support it for optimal and more tangible results.

    Eta expressed the confidence that the highway when completed will boost the socio economic growth and development of the area.

    He recalled that prior to the approval, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, had remediated the poor condition of the highway.

    Eta urged the people of the South-South and the entire Niger Delta to embrace peace and dialogue as a way of reciprocating the Federal Government’s commitment to their welfare.

     

  • NDDC seeks investors to develop modular refineries

    Mr Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says the commission would partner investors to build modular refineries in the Niger Delta.

    Ekere, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by the commission’s Head of  Corporate Affairs, Mr Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, also said he would lead a delegation to the forthcoming Oil Technology Conference in Houston, United States, to explore  opportunities for development of modular refineries.

    He said that the conference slated to hold from May 1 to May 4 would be attended by leading professionals and players in the global oil and gas industry.

    According to him, the focus of the conference is to exchange knowledge in drilling, exploration, production, environmental protection, innovation and technology.

    “NDDC is attending the conference as it prepares to implement the Federal Government’s proposal to replace thousands of illegal refining facilities scattered across the region with modular refineries.

    “The conference would fully prepare the region for a new era of downstream operations with small and new players’ in-line with plans to convert illegal refineries into modular ones.

    “We have scheduled meetings and engagements that will enrich our knowledge and open up new partnership opportunities for the benefit of the Niger Delta,” he said.

    Ekere said the NDDC would also use the conference to showcase young innovators from the region who recorded successes under its Young Innovators Scheme.

    He expressed optimism that the strategy would attract new businesses, boost employment, strengthen indigenous capacity and stimulate economic activities in the region.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls the Federal Government recently announced plans to replace illegal refineries with modular refineries to end decades of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

    The plan is part of   a wider arrangement to fast track the development of the region and expands the nation’s oil and gas industry.