…As OCJ Okocha, legal luminary, raises questions about setting up of other regional development commissions
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says its intervention in the education sector with many projects and programmes spread across the Niger Delta, is aimed at boosting human capital development in the oil region.
This is as the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, OCJ Okocha, says the setting up of other Regional Development Commissions could whittle down the importance of the NDDC.
Samuel Ogbuku, NDDC managing director, who highlighted the education priorities of the Commission, named some projects undertaken by NDDC, including post-graduate scholarships, hostels built in various universities in the region, provision of electricity and other infrastructure projects.
“Since our assumption of duty at the NDDC, we have made educational development and human capacity building our key policy thrust.
“The previous negative narrative of the NDDC is changing due to the conscious and sustained efforts to chart a new course of development for the region”, he said.
Ogbuku thus assured that the NDDC would continue to play a strategic role in the development of education to ensure sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku stated this in a keynote address during the 2024 Moot and Mock Trial Competition for Law Faculties in the Universities of the Niger Delta Region held at the Nabo Graham Douglas Port Harcourt Campus of the Nigerian Law School.
Ogbuku reaffirmed the resolve of the NDDC to move away from transaction to transformation, an indication of war against bribery and corruption in executing projects and paying for it. He later credited it to President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “We have reactivated and strengthened our foreign post-graduate scholarship scheme, making it more merit-based and funding it adequately to prevent the challenges of the past.
“We also reactivated and strengthened our free medical outreach programme, which provides top notch healthcare to our people in the grassroots.”
Read also: NDDC rolls out internship scheme for 10,000 Niger Delta youths
On the event of the day, Ogbuku noted that the region had enhanced development of jurisprudence in Nigeria and contributed immensely to the development of the legal profession.
He reminded the audience that the region had produced some of the finest legal philosophers in Nigeria such as the late Udo Udoma, late Chukwudifu Oputa, Ndoma-Egba, Victor Ovie-Whiskey, Niki Tobi, the late Nabo Graham Douglas and Walter Onoghen.
He announced that the NDDC would sponsor the outstanding faculty of law students to undertake a one-month internship at the law firm of O.C.J Okocha in Port Harcourt.
Also speaking, Chiedu Ebie, NDDC chairman, said the Commission would institutionalise the ‘Moot and Mock Competition’ to ensure it endures.
The chairman said the Commission would underwrite the one-year subscription to the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports for all the participating Law Faculties in the competition.
Speaking earlier, the Special Guest of Honour, Chief O.C.J Okocha, commended NDDC for sponsoring the Moot and Mock Trial competition for law students, stating that it was an essential component of legal training.
The legal luminary raised questions with the setting up of new Regional Development Commission, wondering if this would not whittle down the importance attached to the NDDC as a vehicle for the rapid development of the Niger Delta region.
“These new Commissions should not be used to undermine the effectiveness and usefulness of the NDDC.
“The Niger Delta is still a special region that needs special attention from the central government as the goose that lays the golden eggs for the country”, he said.
Earlier, Stephen Ighomuaye, NDDC Director of Legal Services, said that the intellectual engagement of the youths of the region was a strategic mechanism to be consciously developed in finding creative solutions to the challenges facing the region.
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