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•Okorocha expresses support
The Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to making the commission’s systems and processes more transparent for the sustainable development of the region.
This was contained in a 21-point focus set out at the board’s inaugural meeting in Port Harcourt last Thursday, as strategic to regional development.
NDDC chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said it was imperative to create opportunities “for public participation and to engender confidence in the activities of the commission by all stakeholders in the region.”
Ndoma-Egba also stated that the commission was poised to curtailing indiscriminate award of contracts in the commission, stating that the board’s approval must be obtained for all procurements and programmes.
“The board must adopt policies that would moderate or streamline the number of new procurements in the commission, given that as at today, NDDC has over 9,000 ongoing projects, most of which are experiencing funding, implementation and other challenges.
“It must determine the status of each ongoing project and programme and put in place a mechanism to re-evaluate the viability of some projects, revise the scope of others, re-negotiate the cost of some and relocate or merge others, as well as evolve a strategy for settling verified debts,” he said.
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has expressed willingness to support the commission to refocus in the task of fast-tracking development in the region.
The governor spoke in Owerri last Friday, when he granted audience to the NDDC board, led by Ndoma-Egba
The visiting team included the NDDC Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Mene Derek, Executive Director Projects, Mr. Samuel Adjogbe and other members of the board.
Okorocha said NDDC needed the support and partnership of stakeholders to turn things around in the oil-rich region. He said he was optimistic that the commission’s new team would change the narrative, adding: “This is the time for me and my people to smile.”
While expressing confidence that things will change for better in the commission, Okorocha said: “I want NDDC to do something about its image and when it does, I will be the person to sing its song loud to Abuja and to the whole world’’.
The governor appealed to the NDDC board to inform the government about projects to be executed in Imo State.
“Let us know the contractor so that we can follow them up and ensure that they carried out the assignment,” he advised.
Ndoma-Egba told the governor that one of the first decisions taken by the board was the re-activation of all dormant organs of the commission. One such important organ, he said, was the advisory committee made up of all the governors of the NDDC member states and two other members appointed by Mr. President.
Senator Ndoma-Egba noted that it was necessary to revive the advisory committee because the NDDC must work with the government of the member states to ensure that they took ownership of its projects and programmes, as well as check the duplication of projects.
