Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Speaking during the inauguration of the NDDC Board at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development in Abuja, Mr. Ebie said that the Commission would achieve more when there is collaboration and harmony in the development process.
He stated: “To maintain focus on our development efforts, the Board will honour and collaborate with critical stakeholders in the region. We will execute legacy projects based on detailed needs assessment. Furthermore, we will seek strategic collaborations and partnerships with opinion leaders, community leaders, professionals, and development partners to leverage constructive and attainable outlooks.”
Mr. Ebie said that effective communication with key stakeholders was paramount in the discharge of the Commission’s duties, noting that it would foster trust, restore transparency, and promote accountability.
He affirmed that the board will stand on the pedestal of the President’s Renewed Hope mantra.
“We will look back at the vision and history of NDDC’s 23-year existential journey, aligning it with current realities and the objectives of the current administration. In tandem with the Presidency, National Assembly, and Ministry of Niger Delta Development, we will take coordinated steps to come up with plans that will systematically guide our actions and efforts in actualizing our mandate. We earnestly seek the support and goodwill of stakeholders and people of the Niger Delta Region to enable us to usher in a new era of vitality, hope, peace, and sustainable development for the region,” He stated.
Speaking while inaugurating the Board, the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, charged the new NDDC Board to focus on performance, He explained that the current administration has a template to measure performance and any board that failed to measure up would be shown the way out.
He said: “It is necessary for you to know that this administration is quite different from others because they are going to be a lot of supervision and monitoring for us to deliver Myself as a Minister and the Permanent Secretary signed performance bond, with Mr. President with deliverables that are associated with the eight presidential priorities.”
He told the board members that they would be made to sign performance bonds just like the Ministers during a proposed retreat for NDDC board members and the management team. “I want this to be behind your mind so that as you start your work, you know exactly what is expected from you,” Momoh said.
On the need to change the negative perspective about the Commission, Momoh said: ” We are all aware that over time, there have been a lot of complaints about NDDC. I want to appeal that this time around, we need to change the narratives.”
He also challenged the board on the need to complete abandoned projects scattered across the nine states that make up the commission, He advised the Board members and the Management to work in harmony to ensure that NDDC and the Niger Delta region was transformed.
The new board of the NDDC has Mr. Chiedu Ebie as the Chairman, Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director/CEO, Boma Iyaye as the Executive Director; Finance and Admin, Victor Antai as the Executive Director for Projects and Ifedayo Abegunde as the Executive Director for Corporate Services
Other members of the board include Dimaro Denyanbofa, Abasiandikan Nkono, Monday Igbuya, Tony Okocha, Patrick Aisowieren, Kyrian Uchegbu, Otito Thompson Atikase, Dimgba Eruba and Rt. Hon. Orok Duke who are all state representatives.
The three zonal members of the board are Nick Wende, zonal representative of North-Central, Namdas Abdulrazak, zonal representative of North-East, and Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, zonal representative, of North-West.
