Niger Delta elders and various groups have expressed their appreciation for President Bola Tinubu’s reappointment of Chief Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). They have also called for increased employment opportunities and accelerated infrastructural development in the region.
During a news conference in Abuja, spokesperson for the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Anab Sara-Igbe, spoke on behalf of the elders and emphasized that the NDDC should focus on building bridges to connect the states, rather than engaging in minor projects like constructing toilets. Sara-Igbe urged the reappointed MD to continue on the path of real development.
The conference was organized by a coalition of Niger Delta groups, including the Niger Delta Civil Action Advocacy Group (NDCAAG), Association of Waterways Ambassadors of Nigeria (AWAN), Movement For Oil And Solid Minerals Producing Communities (MOSMPC), Coastal People Consultative Council (CPCC), South South Community, Abuja (SSCA), Niger Delta Nonviolence Agitators Forum (NDNAF), Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Abuja/Northern Nigeria Chapter, Southern Peoples Foundation (SPF), Ijaw Wari Worldwide, and the Progressive Youth Leadership Foundation of Niger Delta (PYLF-ND).
The coalition commended Tinubu for Ogbuku’s reappointment, stating that it has instilled a sense of belonging among the people of the Niger Delta region. They highlighted the importance of major infrastructure projects, attracting investments, and creating employment opportunities to address the economic challenges faced by the region, particularly due to the negative impact of oil and gas on traditional occupations such as fishing and farming.
Sara-Igbe said: “As NDDC, we expect them to build bridges across the rivers so that we can travel by road like others. The oil is coming from us so I see no reason why we cannot build bridges. If we can build railways from here to Niger, why can we build bridges in the Niger Delta region? “Secondly, he has started well by bringing an American firm to start a railway project in the Niger Delta. Niger Delta is not supposed to be involved in toilet building but it should be involved in major projects that will develop us. Again, we need investments. We need to go back to production, for companies to come in and produce things. We should be able to partner with international companies and even local companies so that they can carry the local communities along into local production so that we can create employment opportunities. “Don’t forget oil and gas have destroyed our traditional occupation of fishing and farming and so this commission should think of how to replace those lost economies of fishing and trading and the fabric.”
