After dabbling into about 10,000 projects in its 19 years of existence, leaving about 8,000 abandoned with over N1.5 trillion debts, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it would now shift focus from small scale community projects to mega regional ones.
The Commission also dreams of making the Niger Delta look like Dubai, though many Nigerian groups have always said so without taking a single step that would make their areas look like Dubai.
Groups over the years have continued to advise the Commission to concentrate on mega projects that would move the oil region forward instead of dabbling into small projects that could be handled by local councils, oil companies and state governments.
Now, the embattled Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC seems to se some reason in the need to review it project execution focus to regional ones.
The Commission said at the weekend that it pay more attention to regional projects as mapped out in the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan.
The NDDC executive director (projects), Cairo Ojougboh, said this during a solidarity visit by a prominent Niger Delta elder and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Olorogun Otega Emephor, at the Commission’s permanent headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Ojougboh stressed that the NDDC was taking the issue of regional projects in the 2020 budget very seriously, stating: “We want the Niger Delta to look like Dubai.”
He said further: “The biggest problem of the NDDC is the historic debts that the Commission has been saddled with, but we are doing everything possible to see that those projects that can be verified will be paid for, while those that cannot be verified will be left for forensic auditors. Essentially, before any payments are made, the forensic auditors will have to certify, making sure that mistakes are not made.”
“It has been a huge success story, when we started, nobody believed that we could get to where we are today. But with God, it has been possible for us to be doing what we are doing here.”
Ojougboh commended Emephor for identifying with the IMC in spite of attempts by some people to tarnish the image of the team. “You have come to show solidarity, and for that we are very happy to have you here,” he said.
In his remarks, Emephor observed that it had not been the best of times for the NDDC, noting that despite the rough times, the Commission had a success story to tell with the almost completed 13-floor new headquarters building.
Emephor affirmed: ” I call on everybody to support the IMC and work with them so that the Niger Delta can be developed. Everybody cannot be Managing Director or Executive Director at the same time. They are appointed for a specific period, the best we can do for those of us who are not here at this time is to support them to succeed.”
