NDDC joins the battle against Lassa fever

Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has joined the fight against the rampaging Lassa fever. Ibim Semenitari, acting managing director, kick started the fight in Benin City on Tuesday, with donation of personal protective kits and other accessories to states in the region.

This is as the acting managing director has hinted of the kick off of the much-awaited questioning of directors of the Commission recently redeployed.

The donation, Semenitari said, was part of the Commission’s collaborative action with the nine focal states’ governments to kick out Lassa fever in the region.

Recalling similar efforts by NDDC during the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria in 2014, Semenitari disclosed that Edo, Ondo and Rivers states were chosen being the worst hit among the other states.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, at the Government House, Benin City, Semenitari said apart from the donations performed simultaneously across the three beneficiary states, NDDC had been involved in massive public education.

Semenitari, who had earlier re-affirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s zero-tolerance for corruption, particularly bribery, while speaking on live radio breakfast show in Benin City, disclosed that dedicated telephone lines and email had been created by the Commission for members of the public to report officials of the Commission who might ask for bribe for service delivery.

While stating that contractors and former officials of the Commission might be invited for explanation over their activities while serving with the interventionist agency, she added that the administration of President Buhari was keen on the completion of projects already ongoing in the Niger Delta states.

Semeitari informed Gov. Oshiomhole that key road projects in Edo State were already receiving expedited attention while adding that conducive office accommodation for staffers of the Commission at the Edo State office had become critical. “We are going to deliver on the key road projects to Edo people soon,” the acting managing director promised.

Oshiomhole, whose team that received Semenitari included the head of service and commissioners, thanked Semenitari for the visit, saying he believed in the competence of the acting managing director to deliver on her mandate.

“Based on your pedigree, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will change NDDC. I don’t think you will encounter any opposition similar to what you surmounted in Rivers State when you served as Commissioner of Information. Before now, many saw NDDC as their honey-pot and actually licked half of the pot while they took the other half to Abuja. The people in the region who should have benefitted became mere distant spectators. I trust that with you at the helm of affairs, that place will change”.

Oshiomhole recommended the use of only competent contractors in the award of contracts and promised to make land available to the Commission for the building of a befitting office accommodation.

Semenitari later performed the official handover of the kits to the Edo State Government through the Commissioner of Health.

 

Ignatius Chukwu