…How NDDC got N1.9trn budget
…Why East-West Road got stalled during Buhari
…Why NDDC is performing under Sam Ogbuku
The first stakeholders’ forum of the Niger Delta people in recent times under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) opened deep revelations which may guide public discourse in the coming months and years.
From revelations by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, it is now known why the Commission got fat budget for 2024 to the tune of N1.9trillion. The revelation is that the Ministry led the NDDC team to the President to complain about abandoned projects everywhere in the oil region, out of the almost 11,000 projects so far. He said it was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that said he would get a soft loan for the NDDC to complete meaningful (legacy) projects from the abandoned stock.
He also revealed why the NDDC seems to be steadily achieving, saying he introduced a performance bond which they signed. The other big one is his revelation why, for the first time, the board seems at peace with management. He said it was a condition for their appointment and continued stay on their posts. What he actually said was that this aspect was put to them.
Another revelation is that there is no more interference into NDDC work from either the Presidency or other people from other regions. Some regions now have their own intervention agencies.
The next big revelation came from the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. He disclosed why the East West Road was abandoned. He said the people of the region especially from Ogoni sent a delegation to then president, Buhari, demanding that the road be removed from the Ministry of Niger Delta to Works, also that Akpabio would not be the one to execute it. He said he had secured N75bn from Sukuk Insurance to execute it when the stop order came. That destroyed the project to this day.
Read also: NDDC, stakeholders to draw roadmap for N/Delta N51trn economy
Abubakar Momoh:
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, an engineer, Abubakar Momoh, first explained the prongs of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda.’ He traced the crisis of the Niger Delta to corruption, conflict, etc. Now, he said, a new hope has come.
Details: “These problems created heavy cost of exploitation of oil and gas. Clean up is now needed and President Tinubu is committed to this. This is why the NDDC 2024 budget also contains provisions for cleaner energy, environment projects.
“It is dangerous for Nigeria and the region to continue to rely on oil. Now is time to move to agriculture, tech, entrepreneurship. Crayfish farming and general fish farming are big earners in the international market. The region must move to its core areas of advantage (aquaculture). The NDDC and other federal agencies in the region such as the Niger Delta Basin River Development Authority (NDBDA), Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBDA), Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA), Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA), can come together and plan a development strategy and leverage each other’s capabilities to carry out planned development of the oil region. They have huge infrastructural asset base.
“The Niger Delta region has no reason to be poor with these federal agencies in the zone, if only they can work together. They will create a big boon.
“Blue economy is right on your fingers. Youth empowerment and training should be the first priority to create wealth and build peace.
“The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is highly committed to the restoration of the Niger Delta. We created a performance bond approach to management and the board of the NDDC signed it,” Momoh said.
According to him, “The Managing Director and his team are doing well. There is no interference from the president or the Ministry. This is the first time the board and management are working together. We warned against this from the onset. They are adhering to it. We hereby urge them to keep doing so.”
On abandoned projects, he said: “We approached the President on this and he proposed to raise soft loan for it. That is why the NDDC 2024 budget is N1.9trillion. It is a loan from the presidency. You will see drastic changes in the region as soon as the budget is approved.”
He also spoke on the pressure on NDDC management, saying: “It is being reduced. Regional commissions are springing up and it is reducing pressure on the NDDC.”
East West Road: “It was under the Ministry of Niger Delta, but now it is under the Ministry of Works. But we agreed that the NDDC should move to very bad spots because we cannot continue to wait for the Ministry of Works.”
Read also: NDDC presents new image to Nigeria with fresh projects, new processes
Godswill Akpabio
The Senate President said: “The National Assembly is fully represented here and this is to lend support to the present management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Two governors of the mandate states are physically present (Ondo and Bayelsa states) while six deputy governors are present with one (Rivers) that sent the Head of Service. This is huge attendance.
“Ogbuku is a performing Managing Director. You are expected to work towards the fulfilment of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“There are agitations in the Niger Delta requiring you to adopt pragmatic ways and do things differently. That is the expectation of the presidency. All hands must however be on deck to achieve desired change in the oil region.”
My Response to key issues raised here:
On East West Road, he said: “The people of the region must today know why it was not completed during my tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. People of the Niger Delta (especially from Ogoni areas) sent a delegation to President Muhammadu Buhari demanding that on no account should I be allowed to complete that project; that the road must not be done by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA). Their thinking must be to ensure that if there is any benefit from executing the project, it should not get to me, their brother. They demanded it be handed to the Ministry of Works to do. At that point, we had just secured N75bn from Sukuk Insurance to execute the road, at least, the Bayelsa to Onne section that is worst.
“President Buhari drew my attention to this and said, ‘see?’ Fine. He did their bidding, but this was the Ministry of Works that had no budget or fund for the project. That is how the project died. It is our people that did it. So, the biggest problem of the Niger Delta is Niger Delta.
“So, Ogbuku, do not be surprised if despite the praises heaped on you, the same Niger Delta people send delegation or petition to demand for your removal as CEO of the NDDC. Don’t be surprised if this happens.
“The National Assembly is satisfied with you and we are here to assure that we are prepared to bring development to the oil region.
“Renewed Hope Agenda is practical. The NDDC is working and the fact that some people are saying move the East West Road to the NDDC is evidence of that. In the past, they were demanding that projects be moved out of the NDDC to other agencies, but now, the reverse is the case.
“I want to assure the people of the region that the East West Road would be done. We in the National Assembly will ensure that
“The NDDC has got the biggest budget ever; N1.9trillion. Things have changed. Nobody will come from Abuja to disturb you
“Food: The Niger Delta region can feed itself if you focus on agriculture such as rice, fish, etc. fast. It is not true that the region can only push out oil.
“President Tinubu has given you free hand. He has the interest of the Niger Delta at heart. He has approved that the Coastal Road be also started at a spot in the Niger Delta.
“Unity is what the region now needs. Unity is not just a choice but compulsory in seeking to realise the true potentials of the region. We must build consensus and seek common grounds and agree to push not just oil but agric and tech.
“Feats: I completed the headquarters after 26 years of abandonment, and you have completed the Okitipupa power project in Ondo which is giving light to 86 communities in the area after 15 years of neglect; you also completed some bridges in Akwa Ibom that have been there for long. NDDC has changed, things are happening. That is why this place is full. That is why people are here.
“President Tinubu is ready to develop the oil region, and the FG is interested in the region. The President is determined to make HYREP finish the clean project.
“The National Assembly supports development in the Niger Delta because the region is contributing to the nation’s economy; the nation will now face you.”
Tony Elumelu:
We can build an economy in the Niger Delta
“Our interest in the Niger Delta is significant. We have 40,000 employees in Africa and some of them are from the Niger Delta region
“We have dedicated projects in the Niger Delta and we OML 17 (Rivers State) gas from which goes 100percent to the market
“We own Afam power plant in Rivers State and Ugheli in Delta State which generate over 3000 mw to the national grid. Our investments show our belief in the Niger Delta. The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 15,000 youths across Africa.
“The organised private sector (OPS) cannot succeed in isolation because of the business environment especially in the Niger Delta due to the environment characterized by social unrest.
“We believe the future of the region is possible where local businesses can survive. Achieving this climate for (ease of doing business) will not be easy, thus, the NDDC and other big agencies in the region to help.
“We can build an economy in the Niger Delta and we are encouraged by creativity and energy in the region.”
Eghosa Osaghae, professor, and director-general, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA)
“Issues of stakeholdership family; Characterisation of economies like ours that are externally influenced and are often in boom-burst situations. We can only look at few options due to constriction of the economy as it is at the moment. If you pull through, you develop a foundation for sustainability.
“NDDC has a role because it is a pillar of growth. Let’s look at Resource Curse: Citizens tend to relax when there is boom instead of working hard to maximise it and create new lifelines
“Meaning: Extremes of environmental degradation, made worse by climate change.”
Solution:
He said: “Need to find out who truly are the stakeholders, and who represents the NDDC. This must be resolved to tap into the huge benefits of consensus and popular participation because of the need for collective ownership
“NDDC must lay a solid foundation based on knowledge and capacity. Move the populace from entitlement mentality to creativity and self-development.
“NDDC should actualise this by building tech hubs. NDDC should invest in education at all levels from primary to tertiary
“Health is crucial for the region and this is why everyone should appreciate the World Health Organisation (WHO) partnership with the NDDC.
“Peace-building and conflict management are crucial for the region and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is very clear on this.
“Boom-burst cycle must be stopped by creating economic buffers to create economic stability and create an economy outside oil.”
Goodwill messages:
Speaking earlier, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, lamented the bad condition of the East West Road and appealed to President Tinubu and the Federal Government to act swiftly to end the suffering of commuters at the Okogbe axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State.
Governor Diri said he was stuck for more than two hours at the bad portion of the road on his way to the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt.
In his own remarks, the former Governor, Cross River State, Donald Duke, said that the stakeholders’ summit was a platform for a crucial reflection on the productivity of the populace in light of the abundance of hydrocarbons and vast gas reserves.
“However, it is imperative to prioritise the health and welfare of the people above all else. As an intervention agency, fostering collaboration with state governors is essential, and concerted efforts must be made to address the issue of abandoned projects that currently plague the region,” he said.
Ogbuku, the NDDC Managing Director, assured participants at the summit that their recommendations would be followed studiously to change the fortunes of the Niger Delta region.
Conclusion:
The oil region must be better for this stakeholders’ forum which has clearly addressed issues they usually speculated about. As the CEO said, the resolutions would be pursued with vigour. The most important is that the things to do have been stated by Goodluck Jonathan, Momoh, Akpabio, Elumelu, Osaghae, and several others. Ogbuku cannot say he does not know what his employers as well as his people want.
