Presidential aides hail FG’s commitment to New Niger Delta Vision
Commitment
By Donald Ugwu
Abuja, June 27, 2018 (NAN) Two Presidential Aides have hailed the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s commitment to the implementation of a New Vision for the Niger Delta region through budgetary allocations for many of the projects in the vision’s Strategic Implementation Master Plan (SIWP).
Mr Edobor Iyamu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and his counterpart on Infrastructure, Ime Okon, gave the commendation on Wednesday while addressing correspondents at the Agenda for Niger Delta New Vision Media Workshop in Abuja.
According to Iyamu, this is something that has not happened before as things are being done differently today.
“The government is committed; it is backing all its commitment with the necessary action and steps that need to be taken,’’ he said.
According to him, licences have been issued to investors in the modular refineries in proposed in the region while some have started construction as well as the takeoff of the Maritime University.
“As you are aware there is also the increased budgetary allocation for projects in the region.
“ Today the budget for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has increased; the budget for the NDDC has also increased.
“There is a lot going on by this administration and we are committed to doing even more,’’ the Presidential Aide promised.
He recalled that in one of the engagements the Vice President had with the elders and stakeholders of the region, he did say that the people of the region deserved more than they were getting.
“Before now the development in the Niger Delta region was not what one would expect but today all that is changing; more is even going to come in the months ahead.
“So this government is clearly committed to ensuring that the narrative in the Niger Delta changes; and there is a new vision and a new implementation strategy in this administration,’’ Iyamu declared.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ime Okon, acknowledged that before now there was a proliferation of abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region.
She said such policy of abandonment was being changed by the present administration with its commitment to the completion of abandoned projects nationwide.
According to her, it is a new direction in governance especially with the government experiencing of a crunch where finances are the issue.
“You don’t start something and then abandon it when you have limited resources; you must finish it and be able to leverage on the resources that you have already deployed to that project in the first instance.
“That is what we are doing now to ensure that ongoing projects that have strategic development impact are finished.
“Then we also look at new projects that have very key impact that we link to those existing project so we can also fund those projects.
“But the key is that we are no longer abandoning projects; this government does not support abandoning projects,’’ Okon added.
According to her, the key is that you finish projects you have on ground before you start new projects.
The SSA Infrastructure added that it was also important to ensure that the new projects had some form of link and integration to the existing projects.
Okon recalled that in the 2018 budget the ministry of Power, Works and Housing received about N715 billion budget, the Ministry of Niger Delta had about N53 billion while NDDC got N71 billion.
She noted that the consistency in the allocations to the agencies was important as it would ensure that the projects in the Niger Delta Vision were fully funded and executed.
In a paper titled: ‘Communicating the SIWP to Stakeholders of the Niger Delta’, Mrs Pamela Braide urged strategic communication techniques to carry everyone in the region along in the projects allocation, budgeting and implementation.
According to Braide, communication across MDAs, Niger Delta representatives, International Oil Companies, state governments, legislators and other implementing stakeholders cannot be over emphasized.
She advised that such communication should be regular, easily digestible and sent across board while questions should be responded to swiftly and structures of projects fully discussed.
The presenter urged newsmen to communicate project details, targets, process, community participation (if any), milestones, challenges as well as completion for understanding lasting peace in the region. (NAN)
DCU/YEE
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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim