NDDC Urges IOCs To Clear Funding Backlog

The Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) has appealed to International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the region to honour their financial obligations to the commission as new projects aimed at developing the region are capital intensive and require consistent funding.

The managing director/CEO of the commission, Samuel Ogbuku, who made the passionate appeal at the Media tour and sensitisation engagement said, the agency is embarking on new projects that are intended to provide jobs and infrastructure to the region.

Ogbuku said the commission was committed to the completion and commissioning of all on-going projects across the Niger Delta region.

Addressing senior media officials through a virtual presentation at the NDDC’s region-wide media engagement, in Port Harcourt, Dr Ogbuku said, the recent inauguration of five mega projects in Abia, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States was a testimony of the new passion with which the commission was delivering on its mandate.

The NDDC CEO stated that president Bola Ahmed Tinubu had charged the commission to complete and commission signature projects that would impact the lives of Niger Deltans.

Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had, so far, inaugurated the 132/33kv electricity sub-station at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, to light up five local government areas in the state, as well as the 25.7-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in BayelsAa State, which we executed in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC).

He said, the NDDC also inaugurated the 600-meter Ibeno Bridge and the 6.87-kilometre Iko-Atabrikang-Opolom-IwuoAchang Road, in Ibeno Local Government Area, of Akwa Ibom State, as well as the 9-kilometre Obehie-Oke-Ikpe Road in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.

Taking the media executives on a virtual tour of NDDC projects, the executive director, Projects, Sir Victor Antia, said the commission had constructed and rehabilitated 5,141.3 kilometres of roads through swamps and virgin forests. He added that the Commission had also built 42 bridges, thousands of hydraulic structures and 87 jetties across the Niger Delta region.

He said, the commission had resumed its Free Healthcare Programme which caters to the needs of rural communities, as part of the it’s commitment to enhance healthcare delivery to the people of the Niger Delta region.

“In the on-going free medical outreach across the nine Niger Delta states, 20,000 surgeries have been performed, while 45,000 patients have been attended to and 27,000 eyeglasses distributed,” he said.

Speaking earlier the NDDC executive director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, acknowledged the contributions of the media to the growth of democracy and public accountability.

He said: “Today, NDDC is setting a landmark precedent in its engagement with the Press. This strategic engagement is in line with the new management’s mantra of Transition from Transactions to Transformation (TTT). Consequently, the management of NDDC has decided to transit from sectional engagement with the Press to a more elaborate and strategic engagement to solidify our partnership and strengthen our bond with the press.”

Speaking at the media event, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba, remarked that the NDDC slogan which says, ‘Transiting from Transaction to Transformation,’ was inspiring and forward looking.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) paid a total of $142.5 million to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) last year.