The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, the apex socio-cultural body of the Niger Delta Region, for fostering unity, peace, and development, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely nomination of Members for the Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
A press statement signed on Wednesday, 5th September, 2023 by Dr. Ken Robinson, National Publicity Secretary, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said that the new nomimations largely satisfy its expectations.
“The Forum puts on record that the new nominations largely satisfy its expectations and that of a vast majority of the people of the Niger Delta Region; noting that the President’s action complies with the law, and fundamental principles behind the establishment of the Commission.
“PANDEF recalls that, during an interactive visit by Presidents of Ethnic Nationalities, Key Critical Stakeholders, and Leaders of Professional Bodies of the Niger Delta Region, to the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, on July 5, this year, which was led by the PANDEF National Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, FNSE, the delegation had expressed its pleasure with, and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for retaining the Managing Director and the Executive Directors of the Commission, after the dissolution of Boards of Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal Government.
The delegation, at that time, called on President Bola Tinubu to speedily reconstitute and inaugurate the full Board of the NDDC for the proper functioning of the Commission.
“It is, therefore, for the Forum, quite gratifying that Mr. President has, within his first one hundred days in office, reconstituted the Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
“PANDEF notes that this singular action of the President provides a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, President Bola Tinubu’s administration would depart from the gross nonchalance of the immediate past administration, and devote the much-needed attention and seriousness to issues of the Niger Delta Region.
“PANDEF further notes that the President also acted promptly, in a similar manner, by assigning a Minister to the Ministry of Niger Delta, after the denunciations, from the Region, which greeted the initial non-assignment of a Minister to the all-important Cabinet.
“PANDEF is particularly pleased with the reappointment of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, in an acting capacity, pending the Senate’s confirmation of Mr. President’s nomination of the entire team. This step is, undoubtedly, taken to avoid the frequent disrupting changes in the management of the Commission, witnessed in the recent past.
“PANDEF further observes that the management of the NDDC under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has, within the last few months, demonstrated the character, competence, and drive required to reposition the Commission to actualize the core mandate for which NDDC was established. The wide consultations with a broad spectrum of critical stakeholders, strengthening of the Commission’s budgetary process, and collaborative engagements with development partners and donor agencies, towards speedy development of the Region have been highly commended by most of our people.
“PANDEF stresses that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, remains the major vehicle to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta Region, and therefore, urges the Presidency, the incoming Board, and Management to stringently avoid the disturbing incidents in the past that provided avenues for critics and cynics to undervalue the vital imperative of the Commission as a critical vessel for ensuring that the Region remains the “golden egg” of the country.
“PANDEF, likewise, calls on the people of the Niger Delta Region to shun actions that would undermine the smooth running of the Commission, and indeed, all other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government, with a direct bearing on the Region, but instead, support the Board and Management to work in the best interest of the Region, in particular, and the country as a whole.
PANDEF restated that it remains strongly committed to the promotion of peace, unity, and sustainable development, not only in the Niger Delta Region but, also, in the entire Country, the statement concluded.
