Onyeche Wofurum Igwe
Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has commended the Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku for commissioning an ultra-modern office complex in Bayelsa State.
In a statement signed by NDRA Director, Research & Evaluation, Dr. Alozie Chucks, the group praised the management for rewriting the narrative of poor workspace and substandard work environment that had plagued the agency’s Bayelsa State office since its inception in 2000.
NDRA recalled the difficult work environment that staff posted from the headquarters had to grapple with, which counteracted productivity and innovative thinking.
The group noted that staff accommodation and workspace challenges were critical needs that took out a chunk of the agency’s yearly budget.
NDRA commended the management for taking steps to improve the lives and livelihood of the people in the region, urging the management to block all avenues for leakages within their system and ensure that monies meant for the people are used for significantly improving their lives.
The statement emphasized that the NDDC should prioritize staff welfare and ensure that the agency serves as a single-purpose vehicle for driving responsible, responsive, and accountable infrastructural changes.
The group noted that the agency’s efforts should be focused on lifting the rural poor out of decades of poverty while remediating the environment for future generations.
They also called on the NDDC management to adopt cost-saving measures to end the era of fund diversion and corruption, emphasizing that the agency’s funds should be used for regional development and not diverted into private pockets.
