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Groups Warn Against Delay In Unveiling Substantive NDDC Board
Community Development Committee of Oil and Gas Producing Areas of the Niger Delta (CDCOGPAND) and Oil Mineral Producing Communities Traditional Rulers Forum (OMPCTRF), yesterday, warned that the delay in inauguration of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) may lead to renewed hostilities in the oil-rich region.
The groups, in a statement jointly issued by Chairman, Board of Trustees, CDCOGPAND, Joseph Ambakederimo; and Head of Secretariat, OMPCTRF, Kingsley Arthur; enjoined the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon to stop the ongoing charade of the illegal sole administratorship and avoid getting himself sucked into the macabre dance of shame in the NDDC, saying; “Obong Umana Okon should not allow himself to be manipulated, he should not give-in to the shenanigans of the buccaneers. He should not allow himself to be manipulated, he should not give-in to the shenanigans of the buccaneers.
“We are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to implement his renewed promise last week to inaugurate the Board of NDDC, whose members he duly nominated, equally forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation as the NDDC Act prescribed, yet, the president’s appointees are yet to be sworn into office to do their work three years since the process of the appointments were completed.
“Looking at other appointments the President has made, particularly the recent appointment of the Managing Director for the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Onne in Rivers State, the swiftness at which the appointment was made, calls to question as to why the NDDC board has become something of ridicule to the people of the region.
“Another one is the directive issued by the president for a forensic audit of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) without dissolving the board of the HYPREP or appointing an interim sole administrator to run the affairs of HYPREP while the audit will last. In the case of the NDDC, a substantive board has been delayed even after the forensic audit had been concluded.
“The president did not also appoint an interim sole administrator to run the affairs of the OGFZA. A substantive appointment was quickly made which has made the OGFZA appointment the swiftest appointment ever made in seven years of this administration.
“Now, the question to ask the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana, is: what is delaying the NDDC Board inauguration? Why is the NDDC board inauguration being handled in such a lackadaisical manner? And why are the people of the region seemingly so weak that they can’t resist this treatment of slavery by our own people?
“There has been two financial years’ budget of the NDDC approved by the National Assembly amounting to N799billion, which has been brazenly mismanaged with no repercussions meted out to persons, and we say this is alright by every standard.
“The resources of the commission are allegedly pilfered on a daily basis with some used to lobby people in this government to get extension of tenure in order for them to continue the illegality of the ongoing contraption and pillage the collective resources of the region.
“We hereby call on the minister to stop the ongoing charade of the illegal sole administratorship so that he does not get himself sucked into this macabre dance of shame. Mr Umana should not allow himself to be manipulated, he should not give-in to the shenanigans of the buccaneers.
“The people of Niger Delta are happy that Obong Umana was given the headship of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and by extension the responsibility to supervise the NDDC. The people are looking up to him for succour, to better their lot, therefore he cannot afford to disappoint the people, but the only way he will continue to enjoy the confidence of the people is when he quickly ensures the inauguration of the board, in accordance with the law, to ensure fair and equitable representation of the nine constituent states.
“The sole administrator’s continued stay in NDDC has become very toxic and corrosive to the environment and the earlier the sole administrator is dispensed with, the better for the region. The public space has been replete with stories of barefaced corruption since the appointment of the interim sole administrator to run the agency. The NDDC is over due to be run by a duly appointed and confirmed board, in accordance with the NDDC Act. Anything short of this at this time becomes unpalatable.
“The implication of what is going on is not yet felt by the perpetrators of the illegality. The NDDC that was a source of genuine means of livelihood for the young men and women of the region, has been taken away from them such that they now turn to illegal refining of petroleum products for survival, and which has activities have impacted heavily on the environment. Now that the illegal refining activities have been destroyed by government leaving them helpless, do we not see impending calamity? It is naturally follows that there could be a push back and that push back is imminent.
“The region is the most peaceful today in the country considering the level of insecurity in other parts of the country. We should not allow or do things in a manner that will open old wounds and plunge the region into unimaginable crisis. Let us not forget in a hurry when oil production in 2016 was drastically reduced to an insignificant quantity that adversely impacted revenues and the economy.
“Our actions and deeds should not be a tonic that will spur negative reactions which will be detrimental to the nation. Our collective concern should be guided by the challenges the region and by extension the nation will face.
“It will not be good for violence to erupt in the region during your time as the minister holding forth in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
“We, therefore, urge the minister to follow the path of honour and due process and end the ongoing illegality of administering NDDC with a sole administrator in violation of the NDDC Act.
“We are not advocating for violence but the illegality in NDDC is the kind of action that propels people to anger, especially when agreements reached are not respected. Let us not allow this to get to the point where people will resort to self-help. If we can restrain ourselves we cannot guarantee that others will, therefore, it becomes extremely important for the minister to act in a manner that will douse tension. The position we take today shapes what happens tomorrow.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.