The Vote Of Confidence On NDDC Board And Management (OPINION)

By Jerome-Mario Utomi.

Acting on the strength of an invitation forwarded to me by the organizers of The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 2024 two day strategic retreat, slated for Friday February 9thand Saturday 10th ,2024, for members of the agency’s governing board, management and other critical stakeholders,  I arrived Ikot Ekpene, venue of the two day programme.

The hall was filled to capacity and decorated to impress, and it did impress. I met with courageous Niger deltans and came across stakeholders who have cotinually contributed in the Niger Delta discourse in the past but refused to give up in their quest to build a better region.

The retreat was themed, “Renewed Hope: A New Era for Vitality, Peace and Development”

I listened to Mr. Chiedu Ebie, Chairman, NDDC Governing board, in line with the retreat theme, deeply highlight on the imperatives of probing the purportedly settled answers about the development of the Niger Delta and attempt answers to unsettled questions. I listened also to other eminent, knowledgeable and well-respected resource persons drawn from diverse leadership and management backgrounds, use well prepared power points and well-crafted and factually backed arguments to demonstrate what needs to be done for the re-emergence of Niger Delta of our dreams built on sustainability.

Like majority of the participants, I truly absorbed right lessons from the welcome address and other presentations. In fact, it  will not be in any way hasty to characterize the gathering as a truly learning ‘ecosystem’ devised to fashion out how the agency can ‘work hand in hand with the Federal Government for unprecedented, efficient and transparent development of the Niger Delta region’.

However, of all that I heard/observed, one thing stands out; there was a veiled agreement by participants that the Mr. Chiedu Ebie led NDDC governing board and management are rightly confronting their statutory responsibility of provision of economic and infrastructural succour to the citizenry of Niger Delta region.

The passionate plea by participants, and call on the Federal government to allow the present board and management complete their tenure, underscores this assertion.

Undeniably, the thoughts, scale and position of stakeholders were not only in alignment with the popular will of the people of the region but more than anything else confirms as true the argument put forward by Niger Deltans of goodwill that the ongoing smart leadership provision by the present board and management will clearly save and serve the people of the region.

Leading this ‘advocacy’ at the ceremony was the Former/pioneer Chairman of the interventionist agency, Chief Onyema Ugo Chukwu, where he among other things noted that ‘there were signs of new things happening in NDDC.

Chief Onyema Ugo Chukwu who delivered goodwill message at the event was both emphatic and unwavering in his beliefs that the present board and management will deliver the region from socioeconomic backwardness.

Even as he identified frequent changes in the leadership of the Commission as one of the major factors bedeviling the commission, and responsible for the many abandoned projects across the Niger Delta region, the Pioneer Chairman stressed that the solution would be to ensure the completion of the tenure of all Boards, adding that continuity was key to completion of projects and the success of Boards and Management.

Appealing to the Federal Government and the Minister of Niger Delta Development to allow the present NDDC Board to complete its tenure, the elder statesman  emphasized on the imperative of amending the NDDC Act to provide for an overlap in the tenure of the members of the Board that ensures continuity.

He said, “The lack of continuity has been a serious problem and a drawback to the development of the Niger Delta region, Amending the NDDC Act to stagger the tenure of board members and key officials would indeed help ensure continuity and stability within the organization’’.

This, according to him, could be achieved by implementing a system where the tenure of members is set at four years, while the Chairman, Managing Director/CEO and Executive Directors serve for five years. This approach would help maintain a level of institutional knowledge and experience within the NDDC, as well as provide a smooth transition of leadership over time.

By incorporating these provisions, the NDDC can foster long-term strategic planning and consistent leadership, ultimately contributing to the effective execution of its mandate and objectives.” He concluded.

Chief  Ugochukwu has in my estimation underlined a fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinunu led Federal Government must commit to mind and act upon.

Viewed broadly, there are in the opinion of this piece other sterling reasons to agree with the elder statesman that ‘there are signs of new things happening in NDDC.”.

First is situated in  Mr. Chiedu Ebie’s, declaration while presenting his welcome address, where he among other remarks underlined an unusual achievement in NDDC and  amply qualifies as a departure from the old order.

He said; ‘’since our inauguration just over two months ago, as a highly accountable and proactive board, we have achieved progress. Together, we have worked to dispel the negative narratives that once plagued the Commission, aiming to make that a thing of the past. Similarly, we have adopted a leadership style that instill confidence in our people, prioritising their well-being through constructive collaboration and mutual respect’’.

There is another feat, in fact, very key achievement by the new board and management that not only deserves a vote of confidence but calls on other Agencies, Ministries and Commissions to emulate. It is the quality of Resource Persons that made engaging presentations and well-crafted topics of discussion.

Take as an illustration, Mr. Tolu Odukole of the reputable KPMG, Nigeria spoke on Corporate Governance and Compliance while  Dr. Joe Abah, Country Director, Development Alternatives Incorporated and former Director General, Bureau for Public Sector (BPSR) focused on The Role of Innovation  and Operational  Excellence. Mrs. Effiong Anyanwu, CEO, Stransform Consulting dwelt on Conflict and Stakeholders Management while Engr. Emeka Ezeh, pioneer Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), highlighted on the essentials of Public Procurement. Frank Nwaeke jr.

In the same vein, Former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Former Director General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), conducted participants on the Relationship between Supervisory Ministries and Governing Boards among  other critical topics such as Harmonization of Regional Development Master Plans of the Niger Delta region, were deeply discussed by well foresighted Nigerians present at the retreat.

Looking at the list of these great Nigerians and others too numerous to mention that moderated the programme, it will be difficult if not absolutely impossible to describe the gathering as a child play.

It is not possible!

Therefore, as the season of endorsement and vote of confidence continues to flourish, one point the board and management of NDDC must not fail to remember is to continually work and make Niger Delta region a livable environment through infrastructural provision and human capital development.

In the interim, this piece encourages the NDDC board and management  to build  for the present and future generations a Niger Delta region that is not  diminished than they met it, as that is  the only way to make their  tenure both memorable and rewarding.

Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/08032725374.