– By Celestine Ogolo
Recently, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) rolled out the drums and the red carpet to celebrate and mark its 25 years existence, as an interventionist agency, set up to develop the Niger Delta. The Celebration which transversed the nine states that make up the commission was with such aplomb, signifying a satisfaction that comes with milestone achievements.
While the generality of the people of the Niger Delta expected a more soberly celebration considering its two decades and half of underwhelming performances, the commission was jubilant and ebullient in its celebration.
Certainly, while one could argue that 25 years would not be enough to change the story of the perennial underdevelopment of the Niger Delta by a commission, whose funding, is oftentimes stifled, yet the mild expectation of the people in terms of tangible people-centered development have not been seriously tackled, much more being met.
The NDDC, established in 2000 to facilitate and fast track development in the oil-rich, but impoverished and once neglected Niger Delta, has faced constant criticism over its failure to rise to demands of the people of the area who are bewildered that inspite the nearly N7 trillion which the commission received since its establishment, one can hardly point to any legacy project embarked upon and completed by the commission.
An interventionist agency of this magnitude is not just about building few kilometres of roads and school buildings, but ought to embark on legacy projects that have linkage effects in the region, ensuring proper integration and interaction among the people.
Director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was guest speaker at the 25th anniversary celebration of the NDDC, did not mince words in her address. “Over N7 trillion has been sunk into the NDDC since inception. How many solid roads have you built?
The Niger Delta still ranks low in human capital development. A lot needs to be done to meet the expectations of the people,” she said at the occasion. She equally urged the commission to deliver measurable results.
There is no doubt that two decades of the NDDC have been a story of corruption and mismanagement, at least in the past.
These past instances of corruption led to widespread criticism and a perception that funds were not properly utilized. This eroded public trust and oftentimes public outrage over stories of homogenous amounts spent by the commission on things that had little bearing on the lives of the people.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020 described the NDDC as an “ATM” for politicians. It was a veiled reference to the corruption that was systemic and endemic in the NDDC. “The mismanagement of resources and lack of delivery of projects have made the commission an ATM for politicians”, the former president said in frustration over ugly stories that emanated from the commission.
Speaking in 2019 about the inability of the NDDC to make meaningful impact on the lives of the people, then Miniser of the Niger Delta Ministry, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who is currently Nigeria’s Senate President, declared that the commission had not performed well since it was established. Lamenting the huge indebtedness of the commission, he declared, “the impact of NDDC on the entire Niger Delta region would have been more if not for those things militating against development- personal interest, political interests, interferences here and there. The NDDC was strategic, it was a child of necessity. I believe that the NDDC has not performed well. I don’t want to say that you have failed the region, I am saying that you have not performed well”.
Similarly, Festus Keyamo, a junior minister then in the same ministry of Niger Delta was more equivocal when he declared while addressing management and staff of the NDDC that, “the vision of the commission was lost over time”. He went further to say, “I recall that a few weeks ago, the VP of this country did say publicly that the commission has failed, that is the truth. In terms of commensurability of the project viz-a-viz the income that is accurable to the commission, we have failed.
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan while speaking during the 25 years celebration get together expressed his bewilderment over the state of affairs in the NDDC. He summed up his feelings thus: “In the first 25 years, the NDDC had had over 11 CEO’s. I thank the President (Bola Tinubu) for retaining the current CEO. Let the next 25 years be defined by legacy projects, not just visions and promises. For over 20 years, NDDC operated from a rented apartment at N300m per year, without connection to the national grid. Yet diesel contracts were preferred over a one-time N70m grid connection”. Indeed, talking about legacy projects, it is intriguingly disappointing that the NDDC, after spending millions of naira to develop a Master plan, could not implement up to 20 percent of what was contained in the plan before it expired. Yet, as the commission celebrated its 25th anniversary with so much funfare, there is no current Master plan, making it even more intriguing on how the commission intends to achieve a holistic integrated approach of the development of the region.
Where is the much touted coastal railway which was aimed at interconnecting the nine states of the Niger Delta? Has it left the drawing board of the NDDC? That would have been one legacy project which the commission would have celebrated in 25 years and people would applaud it. It would have been transformational, economically uplifting in terms of movement of goods, enhancement of mobility of the people and creating job opportunities that would have come, not just from the construction of the rail line, but it’s operation. Aside road infrastructure, the other issues bedevilling the Niger Delta, such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental depredation remain unaffected by the NDDC in its 25 years history. The only attempt at environmental intervention through the clearing of the water hyacinth because a conduct for sleaze.
However, in spite these lamentations of woes and inefficiencies, some Nigerians agree that the NDDC has made significant interventions in the Niger Delta to warrant rolling out the drums to celebrate. Such persons point to its focus on infrastructure development, programs, particularly those related to skills acquisition, agricultural training and foreign overseas scholarship.
Perhaps, one issue that has rekindled hope that the NDDC might rise to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the region is the reappointment of Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the commission. President Bola Tinubu’s masterstroke in not adding to the high turn over of chief executives of the commission has brought some stability and a sense of direction.
Samuel Ogbuku, a passionately focused and self-motivated entrepreneur has brought in a new sense of identity aimed at shifting focus from the dark parts of the NDDC to a new one of positivity and people-centered development. He, no doubt, understands the feeling of the people about the commission and every step taken so far seems to send a message to the people that things are turning around for good.
Speaking during an interactive meeting between the executive management and staff of the commission at the NDDC Event Centre in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku pointed out that the commission has opened a new chapter after the conclusion of its 25 years anniversary celebration.
“People are now willing to do business with us. We are now telling our stories ourselves. We have embraced our failures, made amends, and are now moving foward into a new chapter. Today, we have a new identity, which is one of the key indicators of success and performance. Today, NDDC is one of the best performing agencies in the country. The difference is good leadership combined with good followership”, according to him.
Ogbuku’s Optimism stems from positive comments from stakeholders towards efforts to improve transparency, accountability, including bodies like KPMG to review and strengthen its corperate governance.
The NDDC initiative like the “light up the Niger Delta” project has been generally acknowledged as timely and was aptly described by President Tinubu as “commendable” which “has not only reduced night crimes and enhanced security, but has also extended trading hours and improved social life across the region”.
As a new countdown begins for the NDDC, it is imperative that they heed the admorition of Mr President that, “beyond infrastructural development, the NDDC must continue to prioritise human capital development, as it remains the primary index of progress. Projects and programmes that directly impact the lives of ordinary people in the rural communities must be prioritised.”
It is cherry to learn that the NDDC under the leadership of Samuel Ogbuku is working it’s way towards ensuring that agriculture is giving priority attention in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, aimed at promoting food security in the region. The proposed agriculture summit for the Niger Delta region in conjunction with the state governments in the region should be accorded priority. There is no better time than now to begin that process of ensuring that youths in the region are meaningfully engaged through agriculture. As one who had interest in agriculture, there is great enthusiasm and optimism that Ogbuku’s leadership will usher in the push to support agriculture and change the narrative in the Niger Delta region in the years ahead.
Let the next milestone bring greater celebrations.
Good 👍 job. Well done 👏