The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) needs to ensure that its projects and programmes are procured in line with the extant rules and laws in the Procurement Act.
Accordingly, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer who is the Chief accounting officer of the Commission should be responsible for all procurement processes and should co-opt the Executive Directors and Heads of Departments during the Procurement planning for the Commission.
“That procurement is at the heart of governance and one of the government activities most vulnerable to corruption.
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“Therefore, the Board and Management of the NDDC must effectively discharge their responsibility to manage the Procurement process involving all stakeholders, without sacrificing the core objectives as provided under the Procurement Act.”
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Commission’s two-day retreat for the Board and Management of the commission held in Akwa Ibom State under the theme, ‘Renewed Hope: A New Era for Vitality, Peace and Development.’
“The Commission should establish clear, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound goals that the Commission will demonstrably commit to and deliver upon, fostering increased public trust.
“The leadership of the Commission needs to consistently demonstrate their commitment to ethical principles, through their decisions and behavior,” It was also stated.
The communiqué, which was endorsed by the Board Chairman, Chiedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, stressed the importance for “the development of key governance policies and procedures to promote clarity of roles and minimise discord on the Board, as well as defined reporting framework covering key stakeholders and transparency.
According to the communiqué, “The main purpose of all reforms must be the improvement of the lives of the people,” adding that “reforms tailored to the local context have a better chance of success.
“Therefore, the NDDC must deploy creativity and innovation to drive reforms and development in the region.
“There is need for intentional partnerships and conflict management imperatives to secure value. Therefore, Stakeholder engagement and management must be strategic and improved continuously.”
The communiqué, which frowned at the frequent changes in the Governing Board of the Commission, said it has “largely accounted for the challenges in project execution and delivery in the development of the region.”
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Calling on the Federal Government to ensure that the current Board completes its tenure, it noted that “there should be continuity in succeeding Boards to ensure sustainability of the Commission’s projects.”
While calling for the urgent release of all outstanding statutory contributions of the Federal Government to the NDDC fund, as the non-release of these funds has significantly hampered the ability of the Commission to deliver on its mandate. It pleaded for “some form of financial autonomy for the NDDC outside the Treasury Single Account (TSA) regime.
“This is as part of the process of getting the Commission take advantage of traditional credit sources in completing its projects and deliver real impact and sustainable development to the long suffering people of the region.
“That there is need for the Board and Management to acquaint themselves with relevant rules, in order to effectively discharge the responsibilities imposed under extant laws,” it stated
