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Probe NDDC Operations, Spending, CSOs Tell Oil Producing Communities
Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have charged residents of oil producing states to exercise their rights by challenging the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for it to deliver on its mandate in the affected communities.
The CSOs also resolved at a workshop in Akure, the Ondo State capital to form a movement that would henceforth work with the people in the mandate areas to ensure that projects executed by NDDC were monitored and evaluated.
These were part of the submissions of stakeholders at an Agenda Capacity Development Workshop held in Akure, at the weekend.
The theme of the workshop was, “Straightening CSOs and community agency capacity to engage NDDC”, and organised by the Social Development Integrated Centre, also known as Social Action, and MacArthur Foundation.
In his presentation, the Chairman, Civil Society Coalition in Ondo State, Mr Franklin Oloniju, said the level of corruption in the NDDC over the years had negatively affected it from alleviating the sufferings of the people of the oil producing states, hence the need for those affected to start asking questions.
Oloniju pointed out that people should ask questions about the activities of NDDC to ensure accountability and transparency, adding that checks and balances must be activated to demand for the needful from NDDC.
He said, “Over the years, we have found that the mandates of NDDC have not benefited the people and the commission itself has been plagued with a lot of issues around corruption, inefficiency, ineptitude activities, not being transparent and accountable. So, these are some of the problems that plagued the commission for a long time.
“Based on emerging trend and for the fact that they still continue to hold the destiny of millions of people in their hands in term of being unable to deliver on their mandates, it is important that people must start to hold the commission accountable for them to be able to deliver on their services.”
“That is why we are bringing stakeholders across the region to see we can form a movement that will put NDDC on its toes and ensure that it does what it is supposed to do appropriately and efficiently.
“A lot of money budgeted for intervention and construction are not mostly executed and if they are done,they are executed in as substandard. So how can we continue in that manner? There is a need for us to rejig the processes that go on within the NDDC for it to deliver on the services.
“One of the things we noticed as stakeholders is that a lot of people still don’t understand the mandate of NDDC and they don’t understand the fact that NDDC should be accountable to them, especially those at the mandate areas. They also do not have the understanding of how to engage NDDC for them to be accountable.
“We also found that people at mandate areas don’t show much interest because there is a lot of shielding in secrecy of NDDC activities and its budget.
“Our presentation is to open up their eyes that they have a role to play in ensuring that this commission delivers on its mandate.
“For them to also understand the importance of people with disabilities, women in the running of the NDDC, looking at gender as a component that has been neglected when allocations of posts, resources are carried out and programmes are planned.
“There is a lot of exclusion and marginalisation within the NDDC and people of the community must be ready to address such marginalisation.
“Until the people are conscientised to take up their responsibility and challenge those in charge, there won’t be any change in the way NDDC is being run. So people need to put more searchlights on the activities of NDDC because NDDC has become a milking cow for a lot of people. And those legislators, doing oversight are not really doing their jobs appropriately,” Oloniju submitted.
In his presentation, Senior Programme Officer, Social Action, Prince Edebo, said, “The essence of this workshop is to build the capacity of the community groups and leaders to engage the Niger Delta development commission which was set up for the development of communities for the extraction of oil produced from their region”.
Edebo opined, “So, there is a need to get back to the communities. However and unfortunately, this has not been the case as it is currently. So, this workshop is geared towards ensuring that communities are empowered to engage the commission for community development.
“Part of our plans is that communities, will after now, begin to engage NDDC because they would have been thought advocacy skills, communication skills and engagement skills.
“They would have been thought to carry out community needs assessment, how to look at small at small fiscal financial skills around needs assessment.
“They will also understand that it is not everything they need will be provided. They should also play their part by ensuring that it is what is needed that should be requested for,” Edebo said.
Participants were drawn from all the oil producing states in the country, where some of them described the workshop as an eye-opener.
News
Mba Seeks Closer Synergy To Check Road Accidents
Worried over the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mbah, has called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to check the ugly trend and ensure safety on all the roads within the country.
Governor Mbah, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Aka Eze Aka, governor Mbah noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He stated that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Governor Mbah, however, congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, “my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits”.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
News
PDP Opobo/Nkoro Hails Fubara On Peace, Projects
Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have commended the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for his disposition that has fostered peace in the State.
Rising from an expanded stakeholders meeting last Saturday in Opobo Town, the body in an eight-point communique signed by its Chairman, Hon. Benneth Daminabo, Chairman of Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and LG party Chairman, Warisenibo Godwin Pepple commended the governor for linking Opobo/Nkoro LGA to the national grid.
In addition, it lauded the effort of the governor in pursuing the 50.15 kilometre Dual Carriage Ring Road, Elelenwo internal road, Aleto-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme and Andoni Road projects.
Despite the distractions, the stakeholders said they were impressed that the governor had equally done projects in health-the unveiling of Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Agric projects at Tai and Oyigbo and improving welfare of civil servants.
In their words, “members reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty and implicit confidence in his administration.”
Condemning the unfriendly and discourteous utterances of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Tony Okocha in different fora in the State, the forum urged the duo to desist from such action in order not to heat up the polity.
The forum pledged to stand by the governor through, “thick and thin”, the stakeholders acknowledged the contributions of women, who through prayers for the government has impacted positively in the direction and posture of the governor.
Finally, the forum unanimously expressed gratitude to the Simplified Movement and other bodies that have thrown their weight behind the governor to ensure that the administration is stable and successful.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
‘Rivers People Are Now Breathing Fresh Air Under Fubara’
Aformer Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Elamo Arogu, says under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people of the State are now breathing fresh air.
Hon Arogu said Governor Fubara has given Rivers people hope, considering the impactful and people-oriented projects being carried out by his administration.
The former CTC chairman made the assertion during the Simplified Movement’s thanksgiving service and rally held in honour of Rivers State chief executive last Friday in Abua .
Arogu said under Governor Fubara, the Abua/Odual people have the confidence that the dividends of democracy will definitely get to them.
He noted that the Governor has the strong will to change the narrative in Rivers State, being the reason he is receiving massive support across the State.
“The people of Abua/Odual are strongly behind him. Our doors ate open for everyone because there is government in place to attend to the needs of the people. I believe that he will develop Abua/Odual and other Rivers council areas, hence, the massive support. This government is business- oriented and we are ready to encourage him succeed and invest in our land. The issue of a bank; road networks and other necessities of life bordering on development as demanded by the people will be considered by Governor Fubara”, he said.
He called on the opposition to team up with Governor Fubara to build a stronger, united and viable Rivers State.
He maintained that ward nine under his leadership is Simplified.
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