NDDC board pledges to restore commission’s master plan
NAN-H-149
Master Plan
By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Jan. 26, 2017 (NAN) The Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has promised to restore the commission’s original mandate to fast track development of the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the Board, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, disclosed this in a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chijioke Amu-Nnadi on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
Ndoma-Egba, who was quoted as making the statement during the inaugural meeting of the board of NDDC, attributed underdevelopment of the region to failure to implement the Niger Delta Master Plan.
According to him, the region is now more turbulent and underdeveloped than when the Master Plan was launched due to its abandonedment after all the fanfare at its launch in 2007.
“NDDC lost its focus as a development agency and rather acquired reputation, rightly or wrongly, as a contract awarding factory delivering little impact to the regions development.
“We are coming on board at a very challenging time with focus to unedifying public image of the commission, and when militancy, restiveness and lack of development are most unnerving.
“We must rebrand and change the public perception of the commission as a slush fund; and this must be done through our honest work and single minded focus and discipline,” he said.
Ndoma-Egba urged the board members to see their appointments as opportunity to serve the region rather than chance to steal public funds at the detriment of the people.
The NDDC Chairman pointed out that previous intervention agencies set up by the Federal Government from 1961 to 2000 failed to achieve its set objectives due to several factors.
According to him, these factors included loss of focus, mismanagement, inadequate funding, corruption and lack of will to develop the region.
“Though, the current board’s tenure is short, but it is long enough to chart a new path for the region.
“In keeping with President Muhammadu Bahari’s change agenda and global best practices, we have to audit our systems, processes, projects and staff.
“NDDC must be transparent to get more support from stakeholders and engage the attention of international development partners while ensuring that our attitude, policies and programmes reflect values of APC led government,” he said.
Ndoma-Egba said it would no longer be business as usual for staffers, who allegedly extorted 10-15 per cent bribe money from contractors before they could get their payment from the commission.
He said the practice was common and had become “an industry by its self” in the commission.
He said the board would soon set up committees to set quarterly targets, milestones, benchmarks and responsibilities to form focus for each quarter of the year.
The NDDC Chairman assured that welfare of staffers would be given priority attention to enable workers put in 100 per cent. (NAN)
DES/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide