Ofonime Umanah
Editors and media executives in Nigeria ended the first of its kind region-wide media tour of projects undertaken by the NDDC on Thursday with a common conclusion: the NDDC under Dr Samuel Ogbuku has truly metamorphosed from a transactional interventionist agency to a transformation organization.
Addressing senior journalists during the virtual tour, managing director of the commission said the NDDC took deliberate steps to complete all legacy projects initiated but abandoned by past administrations, in line with the directive of the president, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.
Obviously exhilarated that the era of ‘off the mic’ occasioned by questionable and unexplainable deeds by some past managers of the commission had given way to a conscientious regime, the editors applauded the board and management of the NDDC and pledged support if the trend continues.
For example, president of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, Mr Eze Anaba, in his remarks after the virtual tour of projects, hailed the new NDDC for the audacity to confront challenges and begin the processes of repositioning the commission.
Ogbuku, who said the NDDC management was ready to rewrite the story of the commission expressed the hope that the IOCs would be prompt in releasing their financial contributions towards a seamless execution of projects.
He said apart from the legacy projects that have already been inaugurated in the last one week in Abia, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, more projects that have been initiated and completed in the recent past would be commissioned in the next few days.
Among the mega projects inaugurated were the 132/33kv electricity sub-station at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, to light up five local government areas in the state, as well as the 25.7-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State, which we executed in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.
Also inaugurated were the 600-meter Ibeno Bridge and the 6.87-kilometre Iko-Atabrikang-Opolom-IwuoAchang Road, in Ibeno Local Government Area, of Akwa Ibom State, as well as the 9-kilometre Obehie-Oke-Ikpe Road in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.
Taking the media executives on a virtual tour of NDDC projects, the Executive Director Projects, Sir Victor Antia, said that the commission had constructed and rehabilitated 5,141.3 kilometres of roads through swamps and virgin forests. He added that the Commission had also built 42 bridges, thousands of hydraulic structures and 87 jetties across the Niger Delta region.
He said that the Commission had resumed its Free Healthcare Programme which caters to the needs of rural communities, as part of the Commission’s commitment to enhance healthcare delivery to the people of the Niger Delta region.
“In the on-going free medical outreach across the nine Niger Delta states, 20,000 surgeries have been performed, while 45,000 patients have been attended to and 27,000 eye glasses distributed,” he said.
In the education sector, he highlighted the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme of the Commission, noting that 2,323 students in the region had so far benefited from it. He added: “We have commenced the process for the 2024/2025 scholarship programme.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the NDDC Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde had acknowledged the contributions of the media to the growth of democracy and public accountability.
He said: “Today, NDDC is setting a landmark precedent in its engagement with the Press. This strategic engagement is in line with the new management’s mantra of Transition from Transactions to Transformation (TTT). Consequently, the management of NDDC has decided to transit from sectional engagement with the Press to a more elaborate and strategic engagement to solidify our partnership and strengthen our bond with the press
“The current Governing Board and Management under the able leadership of Mr. Chiedu Ebie and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as Chairman and Managing Director, respectively, is poised on establishing a sustainable partnership with the Press through periodic region-wide media engagement while promoting good journalism within the remit of our mandate as an interventionist agency.
“In the bid to achieve the commission’s vision for the good people of our region, we need the press to tell our impactful stories and communicate our aspirations in the most accurate and effective way, one which has always been to see that people of the Niger Delta live a better life.
