One year in office: Tinubu’s success story at NDDC

One year anniversary: Tinubu’s success story at NDDC.
…an interventionist agency  that makes Niger Deltans  proud

By: Sam Obinna Ibe,
Umuahia.

  On Wednesday,29th May ,2024,Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu clocked one year in office, as a democratically elected President of the Armed Forces , Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Since then moving forward,it has been commendation galore by scores of nigerians from diverse backgrounds who are full of praises to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extolling him for the giant strides recorded by the All Progressive Congress (APC) led national government within one year in office.

Political watchers across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory,FCT,Abuja are won’t to say that not minding the current economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy ,that the
‘renewed hope of President Tinubu is yielding the desired results given the avalanche of achievements recorded so far by his government in his one year in office.

This perhaps explains the reason why there are deluge of congratulatory messages and commendations coming the way of Mr President by nigerians which bore eloquent testimony to the fact the former two terms Governor of Lagos State now the number one citizen in Nigeria is delivering the dividends of democracy in all facets of the nation’s economy to the admiration of all and sundry.

Presenting his score card to nigerians in a nation wide broadcast on 29th May,2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured nigerians of better days ahead while soliciting for the support and cooperation of all to move the country to another phase of development not minding the daunting challenges confronting us a nation .

Indeed, NDDC is among the federal government agencies that the administration of President Tinubu is rated high through execution of legacy projects.

In this connection, analysts
are full of praises for what the interventionist agency, have been doing to add value to the gains recorded within the months under review by President Tinubu ‘s  administration.

They extolled the leadership styles of Barrister  Chiedu Ebie , Chairman,Governing Board,Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku  Managing Director and Chief Executive officer ,in bringing to bear the people oriented projects across the nine states that make up the Niger Delta region.

Followers of events in the interventionist agency posit that the  appointments of the Governing Board of NDDC led by Barr Chiedu Ebie and Dr Sam Ogbuku and others was in the right direction in bringing about positive developments pointing out that altogether,they are all working tirelessly to deliver on the core mandate of offering a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta region.

Meanwhile,in his address,the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer,Dr Samuel Ogbuku who welcomed select journalists from Nigeria Delta region and some top media executives to Port Harcourt for the Media Tour and Sensitisation Engagement noted that improving the people,fast- tracking development are some of critical mandates of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The MD/ CEO of Niger Delta Development Commission further noted that NDDC you see today is a new one committed to transformation of the Niger Delta region through extensive infrastructure development, this includes the construction and rehabilitation of 5,141.3 kilometres of roads for improved connectivity,42 bridges to span waterways,and 97 jetties to facilitate transportation.

Dr Ogbuku disclosed that the commission has modernized the power sector by installing 3,806.15 kilometres of distribution of lines,527 transformers to ensure stable power supply, and and the 56,786 solar street lights.
” The installation of solar street lights has a significant environmental impact, including reduced carbon emissions, energy independence, preservation of natural resources, minimal noise pollution,and reduced light pollution” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address,the Executive Director, Corporate Affairs,Hon Ifedayo Abegunde said in the bid to achieve the Commission’s vision for good governance of Niger Delta region,they need the press to tell their impactful stories and communicate their aspirations in the most accurate and effective way,one which had been to see that the people of the Niger Delta live a better life.

He pointed out that it is therefore the wish of the current Board and Management to see to it that the good people of the region truly enjoyed the impact and dividends of the Commission’s interventionist efforts.

To this end,he further disclosed that bringing their activities to the public will enable NDDC to have the necessary feedback they need to do their jobs better.

It could be recalled that at the onset of his administration, President Tinubu said that he will favour competence over religious and political considerations, insisting that that if Nigeria must move forward, that it needs a government of national competence run by seasoned professionals.

Speaking in his first signed official statement entitled:” Nigeria:At the Cusp of Renewed Hope”rekindled the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians, especially the long suffering people of Niger Delta, particularly where he assured that in selecting my government,I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance.

In his presentation of Virtual tour of NDDC projects during the Media Tour and Sensitization Engagement on Thursday,30th May ,2024,at Horlikins Event Centre ,Port Harcourt, Rivers State,the Executive Director, Projects,Hon Victor  Antai said that the commission is transiting from transaction to transformation.

He added that being able to execute and sustain reforms in an environment where corruption has become so entrenched that any attempt to address it exlicits a bitter fight back is no mean feat, adding that yet with conviction borne out of years of experience in public administration,that the new Leadership in NDDC is poised to rebrand the commission to enable it serves a vehicle to drive the socio -economic development of the region.

Hon Antai took time to reel out the achievements of the commission, ranging from interventions on: Physical infrastructure, Electricity, Environment Sustainability, Roads and Bridges, Education ,Education infrastructure, foreign scholarship programme .

The Executive Director, projects added that other critical areas the Commission has recorded appreciable impacts  included: Economic Empowerment,Youth Development, Social Services, Healthcare,Better Healthcare for Niger Deltans, free medical programme, Agriculture, Peaceful Niger Delta, Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals SDG’s and holistic approach .

Hon Antai therefore called on International Oil Companies,IOC’s operating within the Niger Delta region to bring in their remittances to enable the commission tackle myriads of problems confronting them while thanking the media for effective reportage of events of NDDC.

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