Wike: Why NDDC Failed to Deliver on Its Mandate

 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has failed to deliver on its core mandate of the development of the region because the commission has become a political institution where funds are used for political purposes. 

He also started that the federal government deliberately refused to constitute the NDDC Governors’ Advisory Committee because majority of the South-south States are controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Nelson Braimbaifa, the Rivers State governor regretted that the commission has failed to deliver development projects to the Niger Delta region. 

He said: "NDDC has become a political institution where money is set aside for politics. Mention one mega project by the NDDC anywhere in Rivers State. 

"The only mega project, the Mother and Child Hospital, which was to be a joint project, the NDDC duped the Rivers State Government. For the Mother and Child Hospital, we paid our counterpart fund and NDDC paid nothing. We have taken over the project, yet the NDDC has refused to refund our money. If the NDDC fails to refund our counterpart fund in seven days, we will drag the Commission to court."

He regretted that any prominent politician in the South-south who wants to be a governor, is appointed a managing director of NDDC. He said such politicians are allowed to siphon development funds, only to resign two weeks to the election. 

The governor said NDDC cannot make significant impact in Niger Delta Communities because the states are never involved in the siting and design of projects. 

He posited that NDDC can only make progress when the Governments of Niger Delta States are involved in the process of project location and design. 

"They have refused to constitute the governors’ board since 2015 because majority of the South-outh States are controlled by the PDP. 

"Nineteen years after establishment, the NDDC is still constructing its headquarters. All the participating states have no mega projects. The NDDC was designed to help the Niger Delta grow, but that is not the situation on ground. Can we justify the funds that have passed through the NDDC?" he queried.

He said the leadership of the NDDC is mainly controlled from outside the region, a situation which made it difficult for the current management to visit the Rivers State Government upon their appointment. 

He said: "You are coming because I have won election. You were on ground for six months, but never thought it wise to visit your chief host. The Rivers State Government gave NDDC a building and take off grant to start work. They told you not to come, but God in his own way ensured we are still here.

"It is a shame that what our people in the Niger Delta fought for is not what is on ground at the NDDC. You claim to have over 1,000 projects in Rivers State and we are still where we are today?".

Wike advised the management of the NDDC to go back to the drawing board to fashion out ways to site mega projects in the states covered by the commission as the current piecemeal projects would not help to develop the region. 

The governor charged Rivers people working at the NDDC to work towards leaving worthy legacies. He said at present, they are not helping Rivers State. 

Earlier, Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Nelson Briambaifa, said the commission is committed to executing projects that would improve the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region. 

He said several key projects have been designed by the NDDC to improve the living standards of the people. 

He called for the revival of the NDDC Governors’ Advisory Committee to assist the commission carry out its development projects in the region. 

Briambaifa said the commission has undertaken 1,793 projects, out of which 800 have been completed and 540 are yet to be completed. He said there are 103 new awards.

The Acting Managing Director of the NDDC said the commission has set up a process to complete all ongoing projects in the region.