By Emeka Amaefula
NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NDDC MD/CEO DR. SAM OGBUKU REPLIES CRITICS OVER CALL FOR END OF HIS TENURE IN OFFICE
“NDDC BOARD: SENATE SCREENED ME FOR FOUR-YEAR TENURE” – DR. SAM OGBUKU REPLIES CRITICS
Amidst call by his critics for the discontinuation if his dtay in office the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has provided clarity on the issue of the tenure of the current Governing Board of the Commission, stating that the members were appointed for a four-year tenure.
While responding to questions about the insinuations in some quarters that his tenure as the Managing Director would end this year, he vehemently described it as false and without any foundation. He said this during a Press conference held at NDDC Headquarters at Port Harcourt in Tuesday 17th of September,2024.
He stated that subject to the provision of section 4 of the NDDC Establishment Act, “a member of the board other than ex-efficio member, shall hold office for a term of four years at the first instance and may be reappointed for a further term of four years and no more.”
Ogbuku said that those pushing for the truncation of the tenure of the NDDC Board were not happy that members were working harmoniously to deliver on the mandate of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the people of the Niger Delta region.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer, lamented that in spite of the efforts of the NDDC Board and management to deliver on quality projects and programmes, some people with selfish motives were working behind the scene to return the commission to the days of instability and non-performance.
He stated that nothing would distract the NDDC Board and Management from holding fast to its mantra of Transiting from Transactions to Transformation.
Ogbuku advised those scheming for a change of batons at NDDC to hold their horses as President Tinubu re-appointed him for another term of four years, noting that the region should be ready to see more people-oriented projects and programmes.
Currently, the 2024 budget Appropriation Bill has been scrutinized by the National Assembly waiting for President Bola Tinubu to give his assent to it. The NDDC MD/CEO
Dr. Ogbuku said that as soon as the 2024 budget of the Commission when signed into law, its implemention will bring even development to the people if Niger Delta region as the on-going efforts to complete legacy projects would gain momentum, pointing out that the plan in the budget have been to raise N1 trillion from development and commercial banks for the completion of legacy projects spread across the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku explained that the legacy projects included regional roads, bridges, electricity projects, school buildings, hospitals, shore reclamation and protection, among others.
He also outlined recent initiatives of the Board, including the Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Summit, which he said are culmination of other engagements with the youth and women groups. He emphasised that the committee set up to work on the resolutions of the Communique of the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit would soon form future actions, stating that the communique would be presented to President Tinubu.
Speaking on the NDDC Healthcare Programme, which caters to the needs of rural communities, Ogbuku said that the recent free medical outreach across the nine states of the region, was successful, leading to plans for holding the event biannually.
He said further that the Commission had acquired and distributed 13 ambulances to regional hospitals in response to a cholera outbreak and was working to secure more ambulances and cholera vaccines to prevent further incidents.
In the education sector, the NDDC boss 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 released the initial funds for beneficiaries of the 2024/2025 scholarship programme. In response to the rising costs of foreign education, we are considering offering local undergraduate scholarships.”
The NDDC boss assured that the era of not having data or evidence of projects and programmes was gone, adding the current Board and Management of the Commission had adopted strategies to showcase its activities.
According to the development interventionist development agency, some landmark projects were commissioned recently to mark the one Year anniversary of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which included Okitipupa “operation Light up Niger Delta” , Nembe/ Ogbia Road with 7 bridges of 27.5km, Always Ibom state road projects with 600m long bridge located within Eastern Obolo while Obohie in Abia state has a road project being among next rounds of projects to be commissioned by NDDC. He said that most of the projects were inherited from previous administrations as the last budget if the Commission was passed and assented to was in 2020. On 30th of September 2024, he said that there will be the launching of ” Project Hope” which is targeted to give hope to the hopeless and it will collate data of Niger Delta youths. The issue of undergraduates scholarship programs, he said that the Management Board will soon deliberate on the need for awarding scholarships to undergraduates at the tertiary institutions within Nigeria as Foreign universities Scholarship programs awarded to the people of the region witnessed the graduation of the Postgraduate students most of who came out with Upper Grades during their end of their studies abroad. As their stipend has been increased from the previous USD$30,000.00 to USD$40,000.00 per beneficiary of the Postgraduate Scholarship programs awarded by NDDC under his administration.
In the event if improving quality of education right from Basic Primary and Post Secondary school levels, a program known as “You Lessions” will be launched as his administration have received procurement of over 45,000 Tablets electronic learning devices which functions both offline and online to be used by pupils in the rural communities for seamless interactive learning processes Targeted for children of the poor in Niger Delta region.
Dr. Ogbuku said that there have been Renewed Hope in the administration of NDDC under his watch as Staff welfare has been top in his quest to make the workforce receive what’s due for them especially Staff conditions of Service with all arrears owed them have been cleared via payment.
Within the NDDC Headquarters facilities such as the Elevators most of which had functioned for the past 16 years and are now being replaced with the Order of 11 new elevators made by Otis a foreign firm as 6 of them will be delivered in the month of October 2024 for installation as safety of the staff and people of Niger Delta is Paramount with the escalators being installed on time to avert disaster associated with malfunctioning escalators in the premises.
He promised thr the development interventionist agency is now having plans to engage Corporate Good Governance in its organization for transparency and ease of doing business which will make NDDC a strong institution as this will be presented to the Management Board for consideration in their next meeting.
——-Emeka Amaefula –++234(0)8111813069—-+
