– Commissions international market
Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike has commended the current Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for partnering with state and local governments in the region to drive the development process.
The Minister gave the commendation in Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, during the commissioning of the Omagwa International Market and Motor Park built by NDDC in partnership with Ikwerre Local Government Council.
Wike, who was represented by the Minority Leader, Federal House of Representatives Hon. Kingsley Chinda, said such collaboration would foster development at the grassroots across the Niger Delta region.
The Minister lauded the NDDC for partnering with the Ikwerre Local Government Council in the construction of the international market, stating that he would like to see more of such projects in the local government areas in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “In the past, we had some concerns about the activities of the NDDC. I am happy that we have started seeing changes in the performance of the Commission since the current Board and Management came on board.”
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said that the Commission was pleased to be associated with the Local Government in constructing the International Market which would add value to the economic activities in the area.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the development efforts of the NDDC in the Niger Delta, noting that the market would impact positively on the lives of people of the local government area and beyond.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer stated that President Tinubu, had charged the Commission to complete and commission legacy projects that would positively change the lives of Niger Deltans.
In light of the presidential mandate, he said, the Commission would soon inaugurate the completed 132/33kv electricity sub-station it built at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, to light up five local government areas in the state.
According to him: “Another flag-ship project ready for inauguration is the 29-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State, which we executed in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.”
Ogbuku noted that the NDDC had made significant gains since it embraced the Public-Private Partnership, PPP, as a major policy thrust. One of such positive fall-outs, he said, was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the NDDC and the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, to collaborate on diverse fronts in the delivery of sustainable development projects.
In his address, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Engr. Samuel Nwanosike, acknowledged the financial contributions of NDDC in seeing to the completion of the International Market.
He said: “What informed my administration to build the international Market at Omagwa is the increased urban renewal policy of the Rivers State Government and the recognition that commerce and trade are the net employers of labour.
“It is on record that this is the first partnership project with any of the 774 local government councils in Nigeria. The NDDC did not only release their partnership contributions, they also regularly supervised the project.”
Nwanosike enumerated the facilities in the market, which included 122 lock-up stores, a motor park, a police station, a generator house, solar street lights and refuse disposal.
In his solidarity message, the traditional ruler of Omagwa, Eze Henry Ikpo, said he was elated that an important project such as the market was attracted to his domain. He promised that his people would protect the project and ensure that it was put to good use.
Eze Ikpo said that the NDDC had shown that it could be relied upon for development projects, stating that his people were particularly impressed by its prompt action.
He declared: “I thank the NDDC for giving us a project to be proud of and taking us to a new level.”
