By: Nwakaji Peace Martins
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called on International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay the $700 million it owes.NDDC Director General, Samuel Ogbuku, made the call during a virtual media tour of the commission’s projects in the Niger Delta region and a sensitization session with media executives across the water.
Mr. Ogbuku said the debt spans over 24 years. He said debt repayment would help the commission address the region’s huge development challenges.
Mr Ogbuku said the current NDDC board and management were truly committed to changing the old concept and perception of the commission in the area.”We present a new NDDC dedicated to the implementation of several interventions aimed at improving and transforming the lives of the people of the Niger Delta.”
The completion and inauguration of previously abandoned heritage projects is a testament to our resolve to build on the successes of previous NDDC boards and correct their failures.
“However, to achieve our goal of transforming the Niger Delta, we need the support of all stakeholders, including the IOC,” Mr. Ogbuku explained. He also said that the NDDC Board of Directors has adopted the Three “T” (Move from Transactional to Transformational) strategy to realize its regional mandate. “We are very determined to ensure that this time, NDDC truly makes a difference to the welfare of our people.
The recent inauguration of five major projects in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, and Ondo states is a testament to the renewed passion with which the commission is carrying out its mandate,” the NDDC chief explained.
