The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Nsima Ekere, has called on public officers to shun politics and focus on development initiatives that will improve the lives of citizens.
Ekere said this in a statement issued by the Director Corporate Affairs of the commission Mr Ibitoye Abosede.
Abosede said Ekere made the call when the executive and members of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON) paid him a courtesy visit at NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
He appealed to traditional rulers to intervene by advising their subjects who are public office holders to shun politics and concentrate on governance, “so we can bring true development to the people.”
“Let us focus more on governance to make it flourish.”
He acknowledged the role being played by TROMPCON in ensuring peace and security in the various communities in the Niger Delta, adding “as the hen that lays the golden egg, the region cannot be ignored”.
“The royal fathers have played very key roles in ensuring peace in the region. We cannot afford to joke with the traditional rulers. I recognise your role in fostering peace in the region.”
The NDDC boss pledged that the Commission would continue with the robust relationship it had shared with TROMPCON over the years.
“We will continue to support TROMPCOM. We are already supporting the association in the upcoming conference of the traditional rulers in the Niger Delta,” he said.
The Chairman of TROMPCON, Eze Akuwueze Ikegwuruka, noted that the royal fathers recognised the importance of curbing illegal bunkering and other socio-economic vices in the region.
Ikegwuruka stated that this prompted the move to organise a conference to address the menace.
He restated the position of TROMPCON on the statutory obligations of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) to the NDDC.
According to him, TROMPCON has urged the NLNG as a gas processing company to comply with Section 14(1) of the NDDC Act.
Our correspondent  reports that the Act stipulates that “three per cent of the total annual budget of any oil producing company operating on-shore and off-shore in Niger Delta, including gas processing companies under which the NLNG falls, is expected and requested to discharge its responsibilities as constitutionally required without further delay.”
On the NDDC budget, Ikegwuruka observed that the actions or inactions of the National Assembly was impacting on activities of the NDDC.
He regretted that the national budget was often delayed, adding “we, therefore, appeal to the National Assembly to henceforth expedite action on early passage of the NDDC budget to encourage effective administration of her services to the people of the region.”