The Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) has promised to undertake critical projects in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.The commission also vowed to continue with its regular engagement with critical stakeholders in driving the development process in the Niger Delta region.The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, spoke when a delegation of stakeholders from Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni paid him a visit at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He said that NDDC would construct bridges and internal roads as well as engage in youth empowerment, cultural revival, and agricultural development schemes in the area.Ogbuku said: “We all face the same challenges in the region and this means that we must all work together to address the challenges, regardless of our ethnic background. Challenges, such as underdevelopment and ecological problems, confront all of us.”
Ogbuku said that the commission was committed to the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region through continuous stakeholders’ engagements and equitable distribution of available resources.
He said it was important to enhance collaboration between state governments, the NDDC, and other critical stakeholders to drive development through the monitoring and execution of regional projects.He recalled that the NDDC recently hosted the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt, to articulate new strategies for driving the development of the Niger Delta region.He added that the commission had previously hosted a two-day 2024 Budget of Reconstruction Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where the stakeholders resolved that the best option for facilitating regional development was for all concerned parties to work together as partners.
Ogbuku said that the people of the region must shift their focus from the acquired taste of crude oil exploration and exploitation to sustainable agricultural practices that had made the region prosperous for centuries.Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation from the palace of the Oba of Ogbaland, Dr Nwachukwu Nnam Obuoha Obi 111, Dr Chris Ojobah, appealed to the NDDC to extend more development projects to their communities.He said: “We would like to bring to your attention that the community of Ogba Egbema in Ndoni LGA, Rivers State is rich in natural resources and plays a vital role in contributing to the nation’s economy, with approximately 70 percent of the country’s crude oil and gas originating from our region.”
Ojobah acknowledged some of the development projects embarked upon by the NDDC in the area including the huge increase in the 2024 budget of the commission, which they said was a significant milestone in terms of both value and strategy.He said: “The Paramount Ruler of Ogba Egbema Ndoni LGA on behalf of the people of the communities, wish to express our sincere appreciation for the positive initiatives undertaken by your administration as the MD/CEO of NDDC.“We commend the ‘Operation Light Up the Niger Delta Solar Initiative’ which has illuminated many communities in the Niger Delta region.”
In his remarks, the Representative of Rivers State on the NDDC Governing Board, Chief Tony Okocha, commended the delegation from the Oba of Ogbaland for choosing to consult, rather than confront the NDDC.He noted that the people had demonstrated their commitment to peace as a prerequisite for development.