How Fifth Columnists Plot Ogbuku’s Ouster As NDDC MD
4 min read
There are emerging indications that some fifth columnists are plotting to get Dr Samuel Ogbuku out of office as managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. They believe that Ogbuku ought to have ended his tenure this year.
Their reasoning is that having been appointed by President Bola Tinubu to complete the first 4-year term of another Bayelsan that was in the office before him, Ogbuku should leave around December this year
But in reacting to the development, Ogbuku said at a media parley on Tuesday that he was aware of the plot and regretted that those pushing for his ouster were not happy that members of the board were working together to deliver on the mandate of Tinubu for the Niger Delta people.
He said it was unfortunate that whereas his team was delivering on quality projects and programmes meant to uplift the standard of living of the people of the region, some people who felt shut out from accessing the commission’s funds were working behind the scene to return the commission to the dark days of graft and non-performance.
Describing the persons as selfish and enemies of the region, Ogbuku said he and members of the board had refused to be distracted but had chosen to concentrate on persons want me out because they benefit from the instability in the board.
Ogbuku said it was strange for some people to see that the board members have been working as a team and were doing everything to cause trouble in the commission so that the president could dissolve the board and appoint an interim team that they can control.
He said what the fifth columnists did not know was that having served out his first term, the president re-appointed him for another term of four years, noting that the region should be ready to see more people-oriented projects and programmes.
For example, he said as soon as the 2024 budget of the commission was signed into law, the commission would raise a trillion naira to fund some of the projects abandoned by previous administrations. Some of the projects include the Okrika-Borokiri Link Road. The road, he said, would require a partnership of corporates like the NLNG, because of the cost implication.
He also spoke of the plans to fix other regional roads like the road from Sampou, Bayelsa State, connecting the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Governement of Rivers State up to Owerri, Imo State. He however said that as much as the commission would love to address all the abandoned major projects across the nine states, it would be guided by the availability of funds.
Ogbuku also said the Commission has built six multi-purpose emergency shelters in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states for Internally Displacd Persons, IDPs, in the event of flood in the Niger Delta region.
He noted that the project was conceived as a response to the frequent flooding challenges faced by Niger Deltans, adding that facilities at the emergency shelter would include essential amenities such as a school, hospital, cafeteria, police post, and recreation center, which would provide comprehensive support to the communities in times of distress.
“We have six of this facility currently under construction in Otuokpoti and Odi, in Bayelsa State, while the ones in Delta State are being built in Patani and Ozorro and another two in Rivers State.”
He said the commission would intensify its efforts to light up communities across the nine states of the Niger Delta, with solar-powered street lights, as part of measures to fight criminality and maintain peace in the region.
Ogbuku expressed delight at the positive impact of the “Light Up the Niger Delta” campaign, which he observed had reduced criminality in the various communities and enhanced commercial activities in the areas.
He observed: “We decided to adopt the clean energy approach which not only provides light but helps in the fight to mitigate the effects of climate change on our environment.”
Speaking on the youth empowerment programmes of the commission, he announced that the Holistic Opportunities Programme of Engagement, HOPE, would be launched at the end of this month in port Harcourt.
On the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme, Ogbuku affirmed that entrepreneurial and skills enhancement were key components for unlocking the potentials of the youths in the Niger Delta region and that the objective was to get the youths to acquire meaningful and self-sustaining skills that would improve their lives, support their families and communities and thus ensure peace in the Niger Delta region.
“We need to build our youths and our children as well. We have acquired 45,000 U-lesson tablets for distribution to schools for the use of our children. We will soon launch the tablets and deploy them to schools across the region.”
