Chief Nani Welcomes NIPSS Participants, Discusses DESOPADEC Achievements
By Elohor Foghola
WARRI/Nigeria: The Chairman of the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief John Nani says all oil-bearing communities in Delta State have a DESOPADEC project, assuring that efforts are in progress to do more transforming projects in the state.
Chief Nani made this known yesterday when he received participants of the Senior Executive Course 46 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru in Jos, at DESOPADEC Headquarters in Warri.
In his remark, Chief Nani presented a comprehensive history of the commission and highlighted some of the projects done by DESOPADEC in the oil-bearing communities; He said, “The Commission is just a trustee of the 50 percent of the 13 percent oil derivation fund, accruing to the oil-bearing communities in the state. All ethnic nationalities are represented on the Board.”
The Commission has provided transformers and solar power for electricity. It has enhanced the capacity of women and youths by training and empowering them through useful skills acquisition at DESOPADEC Skill Academy.
“DESOPADEC has partnered with the mandate areas to protect oil facilities against vandalism in their communities by engaging youths in Waterways and Land security.
“The Commission embarked on flood control measures in the Commission’s Mandate Areas. These measures were aimed at reducing and confronting the devastating effects of flooding in the Commission’s Mandate Areas. For the first time, no IDP camps were constructed due to the proactive efforts of the Commission to tackle flooding in areas prone to flooding,”
According to him, “the Commission erected hostels, school blocks and administrative buildings at the Delta State University; Maritime University, Okerenkoko, and College of Education, Warri, and other higher institutions in the state.”
“It has also constructed roads, established hospitals in difficult terrains and provided medical supplies to hospitals across its mandate areas.”
The Chairman added that some ongoing projects in various locations across the state would be completed and commissioned within the stipulated time frame.
Earlier, the team leader, Air Vice Marshal David Solomon, who represented the Director-general of the Institute, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, in his remarks, disclosed that the group was on tour around the country. He revealed the theme of this year was “Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.”
He explained that Delta State was selected as one of the states to conduct their research. “We came to DESOPADEC to identify how it is aligning with the theme and how they can make improvements in these areas.”
The Executive Directors: Chief Talib Tebite, Chief Oghenekome Okpobor, Mr. Efele Nicholas, Mr. Favour Izuokumor, and other commissioners of the Board were on ground when the participants of the Senior Executive Course, SEC 46, 2024 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, visited.
