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Tag: NDDC

  • APC urges Buhari to dissolve NDDC board

    The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to dissolve the board of Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following the expiration of its tenure in December.

    The state Publicity Secretary, Mr Abayomi Adesanya, made the call in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

    The party said that the tenure of the board had expired in December after a four-year term.

    The party said it frowned at surreptitious moves by some “powerful persons at the Presidency” to elongate the tenure of the board beyond the Dec. 8, 2017 term.

    “Any extension of the tenure of the board is unconstitutional and an attempt to give Cross River and Akwa-Ibom states undue advantage of serving for continuous period of six years as chairman and managing director, respectively, to the detriment of other member states.

    “For the fact that it is the turn of Ondo State, as the fifth highest oil producing state in the country, to produce the next Managing Director of NDDC, President Muhammadu Buhari must compensate the people of Ondo State for their commitment to the Party (APC) and the victory of the President in the 2015 presidential election.

    “It is on record that of all the nine oil producing states in Nigeria, it was only in Ondo State that President Muhammadu Buhari had an overwhelming victory in the 2015 Presidential election and we have not been so compensated.”

    The party, therefore, called on the President to, as matter of urgency, dissolve the NDDC board and appoint loyal and committed members of the party as chairman from Delta State and managing director from Ondo State.

  • Bayelsa revenue board seals NDDC’s office in Yenagoa over N168m tax liability

    The Bayelsa Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday sealed off the office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Yenagoa over alleged non-remittance of N168 million Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax liability.

    The building was earlier sealed off in June 2017 when the liability was N336 million, with the NDDC paying half of the sum leaving the balance unpaid.

    The Director of Compliance, Mr Robert Lokoson, who led the enforcement team, said the government was compelled to act following the failure of the NDDC to keep to the agreement to offset the debt in two instalments.

    “Sometime in June 2017, the board was forced to levy a warrant of distrain ( Order of court to compel payment) on NDDC in view of a tax debt for 2008-2014 totalling N336 million.

    “Following the intervention by stakeholders and a meeting between the board and the NDDC, we graciously suspended destrain with provision that the liability will be cleared in two tranches of N168 million within two months.

    “Sadly after the first tranche was paid in July 2017, the NDDC has refused to clear the last tranche of N168 million five months later.

    “It is this intransigent attitude that has compelled the board to re-levy the distrain and recover the outstanding N168 million,” Lokoson said.

    Meanwhile, staff of the NDDC who were forced out of their offices, wondered why the commission could not remit the taxes deducted from their salaries.

    The Bayelsa representative on the NDDC board, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, was not available when the team visited for the tax drive.

     

  • NDDC steps up job creation programmes

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it has concluded plans to develop training programmes that will fast-track job creation in the region.

    The NDDC Managing Director, Mr Nsima Ekere, said this in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

    Ekere said that about 5,000 youths and women would benefit from the programmes slated to commence during the first quarter of 2018 in the nine states of the region.

    “We promise that the enterprise hub will be up and running in the shortest possible time. The hub will help create more jobs and fight unemployment to end militancy.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the commission to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Niger Delta youths and women are gainfully and profitably engaged and empowered for sustainable livelihood.

    “This is precisely what we are doing and this is exactly what we will do with an increased tempo this year,’’ he said.

    According to him, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with stakeholders for the establishment of the nation’s first enterprise innovation and growth hub.

    Ekere said the commission’s home finishing skill training would cover key areas such as welding and fabrication, modern printing technology and solar power technology.

    Other areas covered by the training are maritime technology, entrepreneurship development, food processing, catering and confectioneries, creative arts and entertainment, as well as fashion design and tailoring.

    He said the commission had also rolled out another skill acquisition training that sought to boost construction industry in the Niger Delta and the country.

    “The skill gap in quality finishing of homes, offices and other building projects has remained yawning and a constant source of concern for home owners and operators in the construction industry.

    “In most cases, the standard of finishing of homes and offices is so poor that builders and home owners resort to hiring skilled tradesmen and craftsmen from neighbouring countries and even beyond.

    “This is one of the reasons why we have decided to intervene in this sector of the construction industry in furtherance of our mandate on human capital development.

    “This programme, therefore, seeks to develop and deliver training, under the supervision of world class experts from United Kingdom for 100 qualified participants in the first instance,’’ he said.

    The managing director said that beneficiaries would learn P.O.P ceiling installation; wall screening and painting; floor plumbing; electricity wiring; specialised carpentry and interior decoration.

    He gave the assurance that the training would be based on requirements taken from relevant United Kingdom occupational standards and associated organisations with focus on meeting requirements in Nigeria.

     

  • Niger Delta: Gas producing companies to contribute to funding NDDC

    The federal government has said gas producing companies and all other associated gas companies will contribute mandatorily to funding the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Senator Ita Enang, Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, said this to State House Correspondents on Friday.

    He said that President Buhari has assented to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Amendment Bill.

    According to him, the NDDC Act will mandate gas producing companies to contribute to the funding of the NDDC effective from 2017.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Amendment Bill, which allows and mandates the gas producing companies to compulsorily contribute funds to the NDDC thus diversifying the sources of funding the NDDC.

    “The Act comes into effect in 2017. So from the year 2017 the gas producing companies and all the associated gas companies will be contributing mandatorily to the NDDC,” the president’s aide said.

    Enang also said President Buhari has assented to the Federal Capital Territory Bill thus legalizing the operations and budget implementation by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

    He said the President also signed the Bill on the FCT Water Board, the Cancer Research Institute Bill, the Prohibition of Torture Bill and the Bill on compulsory treatment of gun victims, among others.

    He added that a lot of other bills passed recently which processes had been completed had just been transmitted to the President by the National Assembly for assent.

    The Presidential aide also spoke on the one billion dollars approved by governors for the Federal Government to tackle insecurity in the country, saying that the money is yet to be drawn down.

     

  • NDDC boss decries politicians’ interference with commission’s job

    Chief Nsima Ekere, Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said on Sunday that political interference by interest groups in the Niger Delta distracted and hindered the commission’s performance in the region.

    Ekere who expressed worries over the situation shortly after inspecting some NDDC projects in Nembe, Bayelsa, said the interferences were delaying development in the Niger Delta.

    He noted that the region was in dire need of development and that such distraction was undesirable.

    He therefore, appealed to the politicians to refrain from the act to enable the commission’s board and management to achieve their mandates.

    “My appeal to politicians is for them to know the difference between politics and governance. We have a lot of work to be done and we should be allowed to work.

    “This is the time for work and not for politics.

    “We call on all and sundry to allow us to concentrate on developing our region first, and when the time for politics comes, we shall all play the politics together,’’ Ekere said.

    The NDDC boss reiterated the commission’s goal to achieve even development across the nine states of the Niger Delta.

    Ekere inspected the road network project in Ewoi community and the Otuoke internal road phase 2 project both of which are in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

    He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done on the 24 kilometer Ogbia-Nembe road which connects the area with many other communities.

    “I am highly impressed driving on the Ogbia-Nembe road and the quality of the road is comparable to what you see in Abuja; the road has opened up a lot of communities.

    “This road has reduced the travel time and cost to Nembe from Yenagoa which was only possible by boat before this road was put to use.

    “I am pleased that project has reached 99.74 per cent completion.

    “This road exemplifies what can be possible when stakeholders collaborate; we are partnering with Shell Petroleum Development Company and we feel it is commendable.

    “The fund Shell is contributing is in addition to their statutory obligations to the NDDC and we will expect other oil firms to take a lead from Shell,” Ekere said.

     

  • Abia Governor hails NDDC’s new spirit of collaboration

    The Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has commended the Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission for imbibing a new spirit of collaboration in the development of the Niger Delta region.

    Governor Ikpeazu spoke when members of the Board and Management of NDDC paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Umuahia on Monday.

    The visiting NDDC team included the Chairman of the Governing Board, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, the Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere, the Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr Mene Derek, the Executive Director Projects, Engr. Samuel Adjogbe, and other directors of the Commission.

    Governor Ikpeazu declared: “We are excited by the new spirit in the NDDC. There seems to be a reinvigoration and a new spirit. People now see NDDC in a better light. The previous experience where NDDC projects are looked at with suspicion appears to be over. ”

    “We are happy with the work the present board and management of the NDDC is doing. The expectations of Nigerians are very high knowing the pedigree of the Chairman and the Management team.”

    The Governor said he was excited by the vision of the new board. “I assure you of the full cooperation of the people of Abia State. We will tell the story that this NDDC Board and Management are running a new agency of development.” he said.

    Governor Ikpeazu said that interactions with the stakeholders in the Niger Delta should be more regular, as it would make for better collaboration in the execution of projects. When we collaborate, we will get better results,” he said.

    He made a special case for the Ohanko-Aba Road, which he said was critical to the state.

    The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Senator Ndoma-Egba told the governor that the Commission was working with a new attitude of cooperation and collaboration.

    Senator Ndoma-Egba said that one of the first decisions taken by the board was to make a case for the re-activation of all dormant organs of the Commission. One such important organ, he said, was the Advisory Committee made up of all the governors of the NDDC member states and two other members appointed by Mr. President.

    Senator Ndoma-Egba noted that it was necessary to revive the Advisory Committee because the NDDC must work with the government of the member states to ensure that they took ownership of its projects and programmes, as well as check the duplication of projects.

    The NDDC Chairman said that the Commission was going around to meet with governors because, according to him “we are now operating with a new spirit of partnership. We must move the region forward, and we can only do this by cooperating.”

    He stated that it was necessary to revive the Advisory Committee because the NDDC must work with the government of the member states to ensure that they took ownership of its projects and programmes, as well as check the duplication of projects.

    The Chairman said: “we believe that our projects must be monitored, not only by us but, by outsiders. We want to earn the confidence of our stakeholders. That is why we are auditing our systems to ensure that we are transparent.

    “We are thinking beyond oil, because oil is a finite resource and we all know that one day it will dry up or it will be overtaken by technology. So we have started the process of setting up a Niger Delta Development Bank. We must begin to see how we can fund development in the region from sources other than oil,” he declared.

    Senator Ndoma-Egba said that the Commission was also preparing to build an Internet Network across the Niger Delta, stating that NDDC must be futuristic in planning for the development of the Niger Delta “We want to ring the region with a fibre optic network to deepen internet access,” the Chairman said.

    He said that the Commission was implementing an innovative 4-R strategy which entails: “Restructuring the balance sheet which currently has about N1.2 trillion worth of on-going projects; Reforming the governance systems to ensure that as an organization we comply with extant rules and regulations and prevent mistakes of the past from recurring; Restoring the core mandate of the Commission by ensuring we have a properly prepared set of Master Plans for the 9 States; Reaffirming our commitment to doing what’s right and proper”.

     

  • FG owes NDDC N1.8trn – Official

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said the Federal Government is owing it N1.8 trillion since its inception 17 years ago.

    This was revealed on Tuesday by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the Commission, Mr Ibitoye Abosede.

    Abosede disclosed this in Uyo at a one-day Media Capacity Building Workshop for members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom Council.

    He lamented that non-remittance of the backlog of statutory allocations had hampered accelerated development in the region.

    He said the federal government had mandated the Ministries of Niger Delta Affairs, Budget and National Planning to sit with the Board of NDDC with a view to ascertaining exactly how much was owed the commission.

    “The federal government has set up a committee to ascertain the exact money owed the commission,” he said.

    According to him, this is the first time that a sitting President will demonstrate this kind of political will towards ensuring sustainable development of the region.

    Abosede, represented by Mr Chijoke Amu-Nnadi of the department, explained that aside the arrears from the commission’s statutory allocations, other associated funds for ecology, oil and gas, among others, had not been remitted.

    “These problems of funding and the challenges of the terrain in Niger Delta, which prides itself as the third largest wetland in the world, have hindered development in the region,” he said.

    He said that several projects worth N200 billion were cancelled across all the nine states of the region due to the challenge.

    He noted that the present federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to addressing the challenges of funding in the commission.

    Abosede said the current NDDC Board led by Mr Nsima Ekere had been doing its best to sustain the tempo of development in the region.

    He recalled that due to discontents that translated to arm struggle in the region, the setting up of the NDDC became necessary for sustainable development, economic and socio-political stability of the region.

    Abosede said that the NDDC had intervened in no fewer than 64 roads projects, with about 50 per cent already completed in Akwa Ibom.

    “Because of funding challenge, it is difficult for the commission to complete some major projects in the region,” he said.

    He enjoined other development partners to work in tandem with the agency for sustainable development to thrive in the region.

    He explained that the commission was heavily complementing the state government administration’s development plans for the people.

    Also speaking, Mr Samuel Frank, NDDC Commissioner, Akwa Ibom, said that the commission was not at war with the Akwa Ibom Government.

    He said that the commission was focusing on providing infrastructure to alleviate the suffering of the people.

    Frank said that NDDC had done well in the state by rehabilitating roads in rural and urban centres of the state.

    He solicited more cooperation with the media to foster development in the region.

     

     

    NAN

  • NTDC, NDDC partnership seek to exploit technology for tourism development

    The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has announced a partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the aim to adapt and deploy technology in the development of tourism potentials across the country.

    The Assistant Director, Press Unit of NTDC, Mrs Adamma Afanga disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, saying “We are in the digital era; Nigeria has to explore all the tourism benefits through adaptation and deploying the best technology along the tourism value chain”.

    She said the NTDC-NDDC partnership will ensure a quick intervention on some tourism assets in the South-South region.

    “It was necessary to redefine the tourism sector by giving it a brand identity that is easy to sell in order to stimulate economic growth as well as re-positioning the Nigerian Tourism Industry.

    “There is need to redefine the tourism sector in Nigeria; we need to start within our domain, focusing on consumption of our assets, promotion and development of domestic tourism.”

    Mrs. Afanga further disclosed that redefining the tourism industry would have multiple effects on job creation, poverty alleviation, as well as strengthen the nation’s GDP and currency.

    The NTDC Director called on investors to promote domestic tourism in the country, describing Nigeria as a tourism market with a vibrant and dynamic business environment.

    “One of our strategic imperatives is to bring all stakeholders under one umbrella to sell a single all inclusive tour packages for Nigerians.

    “We need to package tourism in a simple manner that the average Nigerian can use, if we don’t package it well, individuals cannot take advantage of it.

    She also reiterated the commitment of the corporation to promote tourism potentials, which would further enhance the nation’s economy.

     

  • FG orders probe of NDDC personnel employment, certificates

    FG orders probe of NDDC personnel employment, certificates

    The Federal Government has ordered investigation into educational qualification of members of staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Uguru Usani gave the directive when he visited the commission on Friday in Port Harcourt.

    He expressed optimism the investigation would expose ghost workers and staff members, who gained employment in the commission with forged certificates.

    According to him, the Federal Government was committed to purge the commission of sleazy practices with focus to fast track development of the Niger Delta.

    “We have observed that there are several people working in NDDC with forged certificates, which is partly responsible for the bad image of the commission.

    “Directors of the various departments in the commission are expected to submit the nominal roll of their respective departments to the NDDC Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, within one week.

    “We will not tolerate any delay to this directive and as such, failure to submit the nominal roll on or before one week would lead to sanction.

    “Any departmental head who signed for a ghost worker would face the music,” he said.

    Usani, who was accompanied by the House Committee Chairman on the NDDC, Mr Nicholas Mutu, warned against political interference in the process.

    He said, henceforth, political interference in the running of the commission would be resisted and assured that Federal Government was committed to “governance without partisanship.”

    Mr Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of NDDC, said the commission would partner the Ministry of Niger Delta, its supervising ministry, to complete construction of the East-West road project.

    He said the road project, which cut across six states in the Niger Delta, would cost in excess of N70 billion to complete.

    “The strategy will be to harness private sector collaboration to complete the road project. The portions that have totally collapsed will be addressed immediately.

    “We will involve multiple contractors, especially the Eleme-Refinery Junction road, which is a strategic link to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

    “The East-West road is also strategic because it connects Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states,” he said.

    Ekere said the commission had deployed a technology designed to monitor project with focus to reduce incidences of abandoned projects in the area.

    He said the technology would enable the commission to monitor project sites and record progress of work in real time.

    “With this technology, contractors will longer lie to us that they are on site when the work is not going on,” he said.

  • We will support UN’s Sustainable Development goals – NDDC MD

    We will support UN’s Sustainable Development goals – NDDC MD

    Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nsima U. Ekere, has pledged support for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development concept of “develop but don’t destroy” as a means of maintaining natural balance and keeping the environment safe for human existence.

    The NDDC MD stated this on Monday during the World Environment Day celebration organized by the Commission at the Arena Event Centre in Port Harcourt.

    Mr Ekere, who was represented by the NDDC Director, Special Duties, Dr. Princewill Ekanim, said that the sustainable development concept clearly recognized that though development was needed for human advancement, the environment was crucial for human existence.

    According to the NDDC boss, the UN’s strategy was “to get governments, aid foundations and NGOs on the same page about what global problems most urgently need to be solved and how to measure progress. The hope is that getting all these groups pointed in the same direction will result in greater impact in maintaining the sanctity of the environment and upholding the concept of SD.”
    He is of the view that “God premised the environment on a zero waste profile by creating two major kingdoms, the plant and animal kingdoms. Both kingdoms rely on each other for existence and survival.

    “There was a strict balance until the era of civilization when man embarked on economic development like construction of highways, building of large malls, stadia etc., which led to massive destruction of trees and other members of the plant kingdom.”
    The NDDC Chief Executive noted that the destructions led to distortions of the natural balance as the environmental systems were unable to use up the excess by-products of man’s activities, including gases like carbon dioxide, methane etc, “creating the so called greenhouse effect on our God given environment.”

    In Nigeria, he noted, “the issue of the drying Lake Chad in the North East, the fast advancing Sahara Desert in the entire North to the devastation of the forests and waters of the Niger Delta region by oil exploration and heavy oil spills, as well as the current black soot phenomenon in Port Harcourt and its environs, call for serious environmental concern by government and its agencies.”

    Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya, who sent in a goodwill message said that the digital revolution in the world had contributed to a situation where man had been further distanced from nature. She said that even the way houses were designed these days fail to take advantage of the natural environment.”