A Communiqué Issued At The End of A One-Day Symposium With The Theme: “NDDC: The Performance, Challenges and Prospects”, Organized By The Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union Of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council

A Communiqué Issued At The End of A One-Day Symposium With The Theme: “NDDC: The Performance, Challenges and Prospects”, Organized By The Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union Of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, Held on Tuesday 6th September, 2011, At The Chapel’s Secretariat,No 49, Ikwerre Road, Mile 1, Diobu, Port Harcourt.


Rising from the symposium, the participants observed as follows:

That for the past 11 years of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) existence, it has achieved very little and created no meaningful impact as the region is characterized by widespread poverty with about 70% of the population living below poverty line;


that within the limits of its financial constraints, NDDC has failed woefully to execute basic programmes that would have yielded positive results in the life of the ordinary Niger Delta people;

that the commission serves only the interest of the board members and top staff in the award of contracts and other benefits;

that such scramble for juicy contracts and other benefits have led to power play and in-fighting among board members and top executives and,


that the NDDC is yet to implement its master plan notwithstanding that the plan was not a product of discussion and participation by the stakeholders.


We, therefore, recommend the following:


1. Dissolution of the Board

Having appraised the situation in the board of the commission and considering the fact that a lot of bad blood have been injected in the administration of the commission and that requisite unity and cohesion needed for effective administration and management which ensures successful performance, participants hereby recommend that the board of the NDDC should be dissolved and a new one constituted for effective performance.

2.A Parastatal Under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs

Participants observed that NDDC lacks adequate supervision and clear cut focus in the development of the region and that the presidency lacks all it takes to thoroughly supervise the commission which is left as a lackey of the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government. In view of these, the participants recommend that it should be an independent parastatal under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for effective and collaborative performance in the development of the region.


3.Establishment of a Development Council

Participants recognized the need to formulate and implement the Niger Delta Development master plan and therefore, propose the establishment of a Niger Delta Development Council, which shall comprise the President as chairman, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, the Special Adviser on Amnesty, Governors of the Niger Delta States, NDDC and all the Local Government Councils in the region. The council is to ensure the implementation of the master plan and avoid duplication of efforts. It will also appraise the milestone achieved.


4.Review of NDDC ACT and Refocusing of the Commission

Participants noted that there is a disconnect in the ACT between the board and management, which has culminated into mutual antagonism, distrust and high wire politics, which stifle initiatives and productivity of the staff and that state offices are created out of the necessity for the proper coordination of state projects and that there is a conflict between management and the state commissioners, which affects projects implementation and that the revised ACT should streamline this and NDDC should be efocused to concentrate on empowerment, poverty reduction, skills acquisition, education, health, employment, water supply, industrialization and agriculture while, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs should concentrate on physical infrastructural development of the region.


5.Steve Oronsaye’s Report on NDDC should be made Open

Participants observed that there are efforts to whittle down the recommendation of Oronsaye’s panel and there has been intense lobbying to that effect. The participants therefore call on the Federal Government to make open the report in order for public opinion to be injected in the report.


PREPARED BY COMMUNIQUE COMMITTEE SIGNED

1. Mr. David T.J.Amusa ------

2. Mr. Amaechi Okonkwo

3. Mr. Chris Eze ----


DATED THIS 6TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2011