November 26, 2014 – The terrain in Delta State has always been a challenge for development agencies. However, the challenges are not insurmountable as has been demonstrated by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in Delta State. The success of the commission in this regard was showcased recently when the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan more or less celebrated some strategic roads built by the interventionist agency.
The governor devoted a whole working day to move round different local government areas with members of the NDDC board and management, including the chairman, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, the Managing Director, Barr Bassey Dan-Abia, the Executive Director Projects, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli and the representative of Delta State on the NDDC board, Sir Tom Amioku.
The celebration of achievement started with the Iselu-Okaigben-Idungboko road and bridge, which is a new road bypass to take traffic from Asaba in Delta State to Auchi in Edo State. According to the governor, the 25.7-kilometre road was of strategic importance to the state because it reduces the journey from the Delta State capital to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by over an hour. There was another reason for the governor to be happy with himself. In a way, the road is special because it takes him across to Ubiaja, his mother’s village in neighbouring Edo State at by far fewer hours.
Apart from taking him to his mother’s people, the road held a lot of economic potentials. The governor said that it would not only promote economic activities in Delta State, but would also boost commerce in the Southeast, especially in Onitsha, which is the economic hub of the zone and other parts of Anambra State.
The road bypass, which has one bridge, several culverts and concrete drains, has brought a lot of joy to the people in the communities along the route. A youth leader from Okaigben, Mr. Reuben Morka, said the road has opened the gates of development and prosperity for his people. “This road has lifted a lot of burden off our shoulders. It is an answer to our prayers and we believe that it would bring other good things to our community,” he said.
He said that his people were full of gratitude to the NDDC for undertaking the project, which he said would impact positively on the economic and social activities of the mostly agrarian communities along its path. Others members of the community, who turned up for the official hand over of the road, could not agree more. They were particularly happy that it would be a lot easier now to evacuate their farm produce to the cities for higher profit.
The traditional institution in the community was represented by Chief Christopher Ogwu, the Iyase of Idumuje Ugboko, who was decked resplendently in his traditional regalia. The Iyase, who was a very vibrant journalist in his days as the Sports Editor of The Guardian newspaper, commended the NDDC and the construction company for building a solid and quality road. He simply said: “I am impressed by what the NDDC has done for us.”
Done with the new road linking his maternal roots, Dr. Uduaghan moved over to the Ndokwa nation where he commissioned the 42.6-kilometre Iselegu/Utagba-Uno/Obiaruku and the 18.4-kilometre Ugiliama/Eweshi/Ogume/Abbi roads in Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
For the Ndokwa people, it was not just a perfunctory ceremony. They showed their joy and satisfaction with their drums, trumpets and dance steps. Chiefs from various communities in the area stepped up in flowing gowns with marching “resource control caps” to be counted.
Their political leader, Senator Patrick Osakwe, who once represented Delta North Senatorial District in the Senate, was prancing around contentedly like a conquering general. He beamed with smiles as he led his people to receive the governor and the NDDC team. It was like a crowning glory for his efforts in attracting development projects to his people. He said: “When I was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta I helped in putting most of the projects being commissioned today in the NDDC budget. I thank God that I am alive to witness the fruition of my modest efforts.”
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Chief Gregory Onah, the President-General of Ogume community, said that the completion of the two road projects in their area had shown that the Ndokwa nation was not totally left out in the scheme of development by the interventionist agency.
“The entire Ndokwa nation is grateful and appreciative of this kind gesture. We are pleading for more development infrastructure. “This project was earmarked to cover a spread from Ugiliamai, Onicha-Ukwuani to Abbi through Ogume, but due to budget provision, what was approved was 18.5 km with a shortfall of about 14km to Abbi from Ogume.”
He said that the communities were hopeful that there would be a follow-up to complete the remaining phases to link up the other communities, noting that it would go a long way in alleviating the pains of the people and enhance their living standards.
“Accessibility gives a big boost to the evacuation of agricultural produce and since our people are predominantly farmers, we need good access roads to move our produce.”
The NDDC Managing Director, Barr. Dan-Abia, said that the two roads in Ndokwa West had opened up the hinterland of Ndokwa nation to their neighbours in Obiaruku, Abraka and Warri. “The Ndokas are known for their farming prowess. Now, transporting their produce to markets in cities like Warri and Sapele will no longer pose any problem.”
He said: “I am proud to say that in line with the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan, the NDDC is set to commission a total of 37 mega projects and over 1,500 small-ticket projects, across the region to commemorate the first year of this board, between now and December 16, 2014.
“This will be in addition to the various youth and women empowerment programmes. This board, only recently approved scholarships to 210 graduate students from the region, to pursue higher degrees abroad. This is in recognition of the crucial role that highly skilled indigenous manpower plays in the local content development of the oil and gas industry in the region, which is the mainstay of our national economy.”
The NDDC boss said that the coming of the present board had seen the metamorphoses of NDDC from an agency “that is determined to make a difference to the one that is making the difference in new ways.” According to him, it’s a new transformational NDDC with a more cohesive and inclusive leadership, reaching far beyond the Niger Delta.
The Chairman of the NDDC board, Senator Ewa-Henshaw, threw some more colourful paints on the NDDC canvass. He said: “We need to give the NDDC a new name. It should now be called the New NDDC because the current board of the commission has changed its focus and the difference is showing in the level of development that is now evident in the Niger Delta.”
Senator Ewa-Henshaw said that the projects were strategic to the development of the area, stressing that the commission was poised to transform the lives of the people of the Niger Delta. He paid tribute to Uduaghan, the current Chairman of the NDDC Advisory Council, made up of all the governors of the member states, for giving quality advice to the NDDC board and appealed to the youths in the area to shun criminal tendencies to attract more development projects.
“This will help to achieve the NDDC mission statement which is: “to facilitate the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful,” he noted.
The Delta State governor commended communities that have been supportive of contractors executing projects in his state, saying that their cooperation was aiding the successful completion of projects, as well as enhancing the delivery of dividends of democracy by the government.
Reacting, Uduaghan praised the peaceful disposition of the Ndokwa nation towards government projects, stressing that it was encouraging to both government and contractors. He observed that the Ndokwa nation’s friendly and peaceful disposition towards contractors handling government projects contributed to the smooth execution of the Kwale end of the Ughelli-Asaba dual carriage road, one of the star projects of his administration. He promised that he would commence commissioning of road projects executed by the state government in the area soon.
He said that governance was a continuous process and as such all on-going projects in the area would be completed. He praised the people, whom he said were blessed with a good spirit which was demonstrated in their cooperative attitude and performance of contractors from the area. He also commended the efforts of Senator Patrick Osakwe, especially his contributions to the development of the area at the period that he was Chairman of the Senate committee on the Niger Delta.
Amaka Port Harcourt
