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NDDC Enmeshed In Reckless Award Of Contracts, Payments – Ex-NDDC Chieftain

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A former Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the 2nd and 3rd board representing Cross River State, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, has decried the awards of new contracts and payments at the detriment of ongoing projects by the board and the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
Chatting with newsmen in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Ntufam Okon regretted the actions of some members of the Commission and workers, explaining that their actions have left many projects that are ongoing abandoned and uncompleted, saying, “there are these stories of bills not paid and these could only happen when we have reckless awards of contracts because there was indiscipline in the award of contracts without minding budgeting provisions.”
“It’s unfortunate that NDDC has found itself in this mess. I think what has caused this current NDDC problem is indiscipline in budgeting and project implementation. That budgeting hasn’t been realistic, the project implementation also unrealistic, we cannot be awarding new  projects when the ongoing projects are not funded. New projects are being awarded at the expense of the ongoing projects, it’s regrettably that the new management team awarded new projects, paid for them and abandoned the old ones and the contractors are left frustrated.
“We don’t know what has become of the current NDDC. They have made themselves vulnerable and have become too easily influenced from inside and outside, influence from too many interested groups. Because people lobbied to be appointed and when they come in, they will be pressurized to award contract to their sponsors or godfathers,” he stated.
Sadly, on the appointment of Interim Management Committee (IMC) Ntufam Okon pointed out that it was abnormal, adding, “it is very sad that the current IMC is more than a year now in office and there is no end to it. They kept staying in the office on the excuse of Forensic auditing. Is forensic audit done by them, or it’s supposed to be done by an independent body?”
“It shouldn’t be done by them because they too ought to be audited because they are involved in awards and payment. It shouldn’t be them auditing themselves. I think forensic audit was meant to identify projects that are verifiable, that must have been executed and how much has been paid and what was outstanding.
“We didn’t have IMC in our times, what we had was that when the tenure of the old board was about to end, a very senior director would be appointed Acting Managing Director pending the appointment and screening as well as inauguration of the new board. He will work with other directors, there is no place in the NDDC law that made provision for IMC and why we use the staff was that the Commission is like a barracks, ‘soldiers go, soldiers come but barracks remain’ and it makes for continuity.
“The problem in NDDC is so bad that it came to a point that NDDC cannot know how much they owed and yet contract was still being awarded. It’s indiscipline in terms of budgeting and project  implementation. When I joined NDDC during the 2nd board in 2005, the 1st board started in 2000 and lasted till the end of 2004, so we started in April 2005. One of the things we found out was the fact that every state has a budget envelope from it. You know how much your state is given because projects funding were shared in a manner that it is already approved by the board.
“It was mandatory that you apply 70% of what you have on ground, ongoing projects and the 30% of the fund was allocated for new projects; that again meant that project started have to be completed by the next board. But the problem we have today is that the new administration that comes in started with new projects awarded by them and that is why we have too many projects scattered and remained
uncompleted.
“When we arrived, the first board did award contracts before their dissolution, the bulk of these works were taken over by us. We didn’t rush into award of new contracts; we were there for almost two years  before we were able to make any award.
“If the trend is not addressed whereby projects that are ongoing are given priority and completed and taken out, we will continue to have the indiscipline in project funding. As soon as somebody arrives, they are thinking about how to award new projects,” he stressed.
From Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
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Ibas Inaugurates RSIEC, Service Commissions, Healthcare Board In Rivers  …Charges Appointees To Embrace Principles Of Service 

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The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has charged newly appointed Board members to uphold the highest standards of discipline, competence, integrity, and unwavering dedication in their service to the State.

 

He emphasized that such commitment is critical to stabilizing governance, restoring democratic institutions, and advancing the principles of good governance in the State.

 

 

 

This was contained in a statement by the Administrator’s Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo on Monday.

 

 

 

Ibas issued the charge on Monday while inaugurating the reconstituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, and the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board at Government House, Port Harcourt.

 

 

 

The Administrator urged the new appointees to embrace their roles with diligence, patriotism, and a commitment to transforming Rivers State through excellent service.

 

 

 

Addressing the Chairman and members of RSIEC, Ibas underscored their pivotal role in ensuring credible local government elections that reflect the will of the people.

 

 

 

“Your task is clear but demanding: to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at the grassroots level. You must resist bias, favoritism, and external interference while restoring public confidence in the electoral process,” he stated.

 

 

 

“The independence of your actions is crucial to sustaining peace, stability, and grassroots governance. I urge you to act with fairness, impartiality, and professionalism—even in the face of difficult choices,” Ibas added.

 

 

 

The Sole Administrator also charged the Rivers State Civil Service Commission on the need to eliminate mediocrity and foster a culture of excellence through merit-based recruitment, training, and promotions.

 

 

 

“The civil service must transition from favoritism to competence, integrity, and accountability. Your commission will lead reforms, including digital transformation and standardized practices across ministries, departments, and agencies,” he said.

 

 

 

He disclosed that extensive training programmes are underway, with a committee set up to overhaul the public service framework for greater efficiency.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Ibas urged the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission to ensure professionalism and discipline in local government administration.

 

 

 

“As the closest tier of government to the people, you must drive reforms that insulate the system from politics and mediocrity. Your mandate includes merit-based recruitment, training, and enforcing standards for effective service delivery,” he stated.

 

 

 

In the same vein, the Administrator charged the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board with revitalizing healthcare delivery across the state’s 23 local government areas.

 

 

 

“Primary healthcare is the foundation of a sustainable health system. Your board must ensure facilities are adequately staffed, equipped, and operational focusing on maternal health, immunization, malaria control, and community health services,” he said.

 

 

 

He emphasized data-driven operations, incentives for rural health workers, and restoring the referral system to improve healthcare access.

 

 

 

He also assured the Board of sustained government support, including funding, for the effective discharge of their mandates but warned that board members would be held accountable for their performance.

 

 

 

The newly inaugurated members include: RSIEC: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman) with Prof. Arthur Nwafor, Prof. Joyce Akaninwor, and others as members.

 

 

 

Civil Service Commission: Dr. Livinus Bariki (Chairman), Amb. Lot Egopija, Mrs. Maeve Bestman, and others.

 

 

 

Local Govt. Service Commission: Mr. Isreal Amadi (Chairman), Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd), Dr. Tonye Pepple, and others.

 

 

 

Primary Health Care Board: Dr. Dawari George (Chairman), Dr. Chituru Adiele (Executive Director), Prof. Kaladada Korubo, and representatives from key ministries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rivers PDP Debunks Sale Of LGA Election Forms

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The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, has debunked claims that the party has commenced sale of forms for chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 23 local government areas of the state.

 

Yowika made the rebuttal in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, describing the publication on the social media as baseless and untrue.

 

He urged members of the PDP to disregard the claim, saying that official communication regarding the sale of forms would be disclosed through the appropriate channels.

 

“With reference to information trending on social media, it has been falsely claimed that the sale of forms for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State will begin soon.

 

“However, the party has firmly denied these rumours, stating that they are baseless and untrue.

 

“The party has its own established methods of reaching out to its numerous supporters.

 

“The People’s Democratic Party, a law-abiding organisation, will patiently await the release of guidelines from the recently inaugurated Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) before considering any sale of election forms.

 

“The PDP is urging its members to remain calm as official communication regarding the sale of forms will be disclosed through appropriate channels,” the statement read.

 

Enoch Epelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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South-South contributes N34trn to Nigeria’s economy in 2024 – Institute

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Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has stated that the South-South region contributes N34 trillion to country’s economy in 2024.

He made the remark at the South-South Zonal Banking and Finance Conference in Calabar, yesterday.

He spoke on the theme, ‘’Building An Inclusive South-South: Economic Diversification as a Catalyst For Development.’’

Olanrewaju, who quoted the data from the Cable Data Index, said the feat was more than 21 per cent of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The president described the growth as ‘’ impressive,’’ saying that it was not driven by oil alone but significant expansions in trade, services, and the creative industries.

According to him, to fully harness this potential, coordinated financial, technological, and policy support is essential.

“As we work to reposition the South-South for broad-based prosperity, the financial system must play a central role, not merely as a source of capital, but as a catalyst for innovation, ideas incubation, and inclusive economic growth.

“This conference, therefore, provides a strategic opportunity for stakeholders to reimagine the South-South economy, not merely as a resource belt, but as a region of diverse capabilities and resilient enterprises.”

Olanrewaju added that Nigeria must move beyond old models and chart a new course for the development of the South-South region, where financial institutions and stakeholder collaborate to diversify the economy for shared prosperity.

He,  however, commended Gov. Bassey Otu for his pledge of land for CIBN Secretariat in Cross River and being the first sitting governor to willingly undergo and complete the Chartered Bankers Programme.

On his part, Gov. Otu said that the conference discussion on the economic diversification in South-South region was timely against the backdrop of global trade and economic volatility that was affecting the nation’s economy.

Represented by his deputy, Mr Peter Odey, Otu said the South-South region must now act with urgency to diversify its economy while leveraging its shared natural endowment in agriculture and extractive resources.

“This conference must help develop tailored financial solutions that reflect the unique strengths and realities of states like Cross River in the south-south.

“Diversification should be evidence-based and must be backed not just by financial advice but project focused financing and real investment support,” he noted.

He said that Cross River had taken the bold step to invest in its agricultural sector by launching an Agro processing hub.

Otu further said that the state had invested in aviation by acquiring more aircrafts for Cally Air, construction of the Bakassi Deep Seaport and injecting N18 billion in its tourism sector.

Similarly, Mr Tolefe Jibunoh, Cross River Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the region was blessed with natural resources, cultural diversities and immense human potentials.

Jibunoh, who was represented by Mr Segun Shittu, Head, Currency Control Office, CBN, Calabar, noted that strategic diversification could unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth in the region.

He added that the CBN remained steadfast to maintain monetary possibilities and promote a sound financial system as a catalyst for sustainable economic development for the benefit of all.

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