By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, has posited that the Commission is a platform to drive development in the Niger Delta region.
This is even as he has invited development partners to rally round the Commission to deliver on its core mandate of developing the Niger Delta region, saying that NDDC alone cannot develop the states that make up the region.
Ogbuku who spoke on Thursday at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja at ‘A One-Day Policy Dialogue with Development Partners and Donor Agencies’ with the theme: ‘Deepening Governance Through Transparency and Value-added Partnership’
organised by Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) in collaboration with NDDC, said there is a renewed vigor by the Commission under his watch to bring real development in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking further, the MD whose presentation was titled ‘The NDDC Odyssey: Renewed Hope’, insists that when the Niger Delta region is peaceful Nigeria will be prosperous just as he argued that NDDC is not a criminal organisation as being portrayed in the public by some mischievous people.
Said he: “We are correcting some of the anomalies in NDDC that made it look like the Commission is not doing well. This administration of NDDC, I can assure you is very very open. NDDC is not a criminal organisation as being peddled about”.
He stated that the NDDC he is leading has left the old ways of doing things and has embraced transparency, declaring that “this is the dawn of new era” just as he called on donor agencies to partner with the Commission to rebuild Niger Delta region.
Said he: “the rebirth of NDDC is the reason for the gathering today. NDDC is a platform to drive development in the Niger Delta.
“For the development agencies, we want you to partner with us. We have written to Chevron to partner with us. NDDC alone cannot develop the Niger Delta”.
Also speaking at the event, Ambassador Joe Keshi who represented one of the development partners said what the people of the Niger Delta need are littles things to make their lives better.
He said what will be used to make the people’s lives better are there but the Nigerian leaders lack the political will to make it happen.
