NDDC Board And Its Challenges

Since the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000 by former President (Chief) Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo which replaced the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), the Commission has had several boards.

These boards could be likened to the prophetic utterances made to John the Beloved at the Island of Patmos during the 4th century when he was being commissioned to carry out a solemn responsibility. A book was handed over to him which was purported to be sweet in his mouth, nevertheless which later became very bitter in the stomach, according to Revelation chapter 10 of the Holy Book.

Without doubt, NDDC was established to pacify the Niger Deltans over their agitation for resource control. It was established to facilitate the socio-economic development of the area.

Notwithstanding NDDC board should not be politicized because it is a Commission with specific mandate to alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta region. Politicizing the board will make it unable to achieve its mandate of developing human resources in the region through the award of scholarship and the empowerment of the youths through skill acquisition.

It is a pity that indigenes of Niger Delta who were appointed into previous boards could not perform. To quote the president, they were busy playing politics rather than develop the region.

In an inaugural speech to the recently re-constituted NDDC Board, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan challenged the members to take their assignment seriously.

The president further cautioned that any member of the board with interest in politics should step down, because the former board was cleared of allegations of corruption, but the problem with them was lack of cooperation and understanding. They spent most of the time fighting instead of doing the work for which they were appointed.

When I saw the names of members of the re-constituted board, I had my doubts as to whether they would not go the way of others. Particularly when viewed against the fact that they share similar characteristics.

NDDC should not be a forum of enrichment for the rich to the detriment of the poor and deprived masses of the region who look up to the commission for succour. Professor E. J. Alagoa once lamented that “the most painful experience of the Niger Delta region was the internal colonialism. Instead of struggling for the development of the region, they are politicking and collaborating with the multinational oil corporations operating within the region to oppress the people.

The challenge therefore before the new board is to emancipate the people of the region and transform the oil producing communities in such a manner that smiles will be put on the people’s faces.

This has become imperative as many Nigerians have realised that the board is simply a drain pipe.  The Senate President, David Mark, bare his mind on the activities  of the board  during the confirmation session of the board members on the floor the Senate. Mark simply described the former board members as a disgrace.

When Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, needed to develop, an agency like the NDDC was set up, and in few years, Abuja attained the kind of development which everyone sees and can attest to.  The new NDDC beard should learn from the Abuja experience and settle down to work immediately. If they indigenes of the region cannot deliver it from poverty, who else will?

I suggest that President Jonathan should set up a monitoring agency to assess and monitor the performance of the new board. Truly, this board deserves to be watched closely. We cannot watch it fail again this time around.

Ominyanwa is a public affairs analyst Port Harcourt.

Goddy Ominyanwa