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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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NDDC: Obasanjo�s political masterstrokeJOSEPH OGUNSEMI, Political EditorWITH sustained agitation assuming all sorts of frightening dimensions, General Ibrahim Babangida set up the Belgore Commission to identify the root causes of the intractable communal crises and discord in the oil-producing areas and proffer solutions. The commission promptly recommended the establishment of a developmental body to address the problems arising from oil production. This gave birth to the Oil Minerals Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1993. However, OMPADEC had a number of fundamental problems. It lacked a master plan that could guide its developmental objectives and strategies, suffered inadequate funding, made worse by corruption. The body had in its trail countless abandoned projects throughout the region. The failure of the Federal Government�s intervention agencies worsened the economic plight of the people and many observers blame the OMPADEC for not assuaging the excruciating hardships foisted on people by the ecological and environmental hazards of oil exploitation. Yet, from its sale (oil), the nation earned so much, but the people, or dwellers were worse for it. The socio-economic problems of the Niger Delta Region continued, thereby arresting the attention of politicians while planning to return the country to democracy in 1998. The Niger Delta crisis was a major campaign issue. The urgency of the situation and the response of President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in making good his pre-election promise could be seen in the fact that within two weeks of his inauguration on May 29, 1999, he sent a bill to the National Assembly to establish the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The mission statement of NDDC aptly captures its mandate thus: �To facilitate the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.� With issues of funding well spelt out and spread among the key stakeholders and the Federal Government, the NDDC Act 2000, enumerated the responsibilities of the commission and oil producing companies on all matters of pollution, prevention and control. The Niger Delta region, comprising Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Abia, Imo and Cross River states, with 185 local government areas and a population of about 20 million, no doubt, is a focal point of the present administration. Why will the government not address the issue of marginalisation of the area, with attendant problems of pollution and economic degradation? The region is the third largest wetland in the world after Mississippi and Pantanal. It covers an area of 70,000 sq kilometres and accounts for over 80 per cent of revenues accruing to the Federation Account. The region also accounts for oil reserves of about 30 billion barrels and Nigerian gas reserves of about 160 trillion cubit feet. It is also on record that the area accounts for Nigeria�s oil production capacity of about 2.3 million barrels per day. Due to the fact that the Niger Delta Region is perceived as the goose that lays the golden egg and it is only to be used for delicious delicacies, the people of the area have always been at loggerheads with successive authorities in the country. The oil exploration companies have not been spared of the orgy of violence by the restive youths in the area. However, with the setting up of the NDDC, under the Chairman of the former editor of the Daily Times, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, with Godwin Omene as the Managing Director, of poverty, illiteracy, sickness, bad roads, environmental degradation among others are being squarely addressed. Omene hinted some months ago that �so far, we have done over 700 projects that have gulped more than N30 billion we are into several areas such as road construction, building of schools, hospitals and jetties in the riverine areas, provision of electricity, water supply scheme, educational equipment supplies, among others. �We are mindful of the human development issues as well. There are eleven development directorates in NDDC. The newly created directorate of youths, culture and women affairs will make it the 12th�. As lack of master plan was identified as one of the militating factors of the defunct OMPADEC, the NDDC managing director added, �We have started developing a master plan for the region. It is a big challenge. It will cover every aspect of development, from education to infrastructural development, environmental protection, youth empowerment, human development, electricity generation, healthcare and others. There are 24 sectors we are looking at simultaneously�. Today, because of some proactive measures of the Federal Government, peace is not only gradually returning to the volatile region, the communities are beginning to have a sense of belonging. A pointer to this was a statement issued in 2003 by governors in the oil-producing states, expressing satisfaction with the performance of the NDDC in alleviating the sufferings of their people. According to the then governor of Ondo State, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, the governors expressed satisfaction as each member-state was properly taken care of in NDDC�s 641 projects worth N9.4 billion, spread across the nine states. The Federal Government did not stop at that, it has signed series of pacts with foreign organisations to ensure development of Niger Delta. This is, apart from three per cent of oil companies� yearly budgetary allocations contribution to NDDC for development of that region. For instance, in March 2000, government signed a N3.2 billion development funding arrangement with European Union while in 2001 NDDC signed agreement with Gesels Chaft Fur Techische Zussemmensbe (GTZ) for its master plan. The multinational oil firms, namely: Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), ExxonMobil, Chevron, Texaco, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Statoil, Addax have all contributed immensely along with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), their joint venture partners, to development in Niger Delta. In fact, some oil companies, including Chevron and SPDC had even gone a step further to sign memoranda of understanding (MoU) with communities in the areas of their operations. The high points of the MoU include provision of basic amenities, employment, establishment of micro credit facilities to assist the people of the oil communities. Shell, like other oil companies usually raise Project Management Committee (MPC) to supervise any of its community development-funded projects. NDDC has recently extended its facilities to the area of transportation. NDDC-assisted vehicles are now playing many roads to and fro the Niger Delta region. All the communities in the Niger Delta region are now singing songs of praise for the NDDC on account of the massive provision of facilities and employment opportunities in the area. Commuters in Port Harcourt, who have been choking in the notorious traffic jam crippling the city, are now heaving a sigh of relief, because of the Eastern Bye Pass Road now under construction by NDDC. With just a section of the road now completed, commuters who are familiar with the Garden City have abandoned the usually congested Aba-Port Harcourt Road in favour of the new NDDC road. Also, Oloibiri, in Bayelsa, where oil was first discovered in commercial quantities 48 years ago, is now bouncing back. The neglected community according to the monarch of Oloibiri Kingdom, King J.C. Egba, now feels a sense of belonging. When the Royal father paid a courtesy call on Ugochukwu in Port Harcourt three years ago, he said, �My council of chiefs and I, as well as the entire people of my kingdom want to seize this opportunity to say a big thank you to the Niger Delta Development Commission for making us enjoy the benefits of oil exploration in our community for the first time�. The ruler added, �NDDC has provided our community with a 100,000 gallon capacity water works and largest jetty in Bayelsa State. We are grateful to Mr. President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for establishing the commission and above all, for appointing a seasoned administrator and reputable journalist, Chief Onyema Uguchukwu as the chairman of the commission�. Chairman, Toun Titigha, Ogbo of Izonland, John Lokpubiri also on behalf of his community, expressed sincere appreciation to NDDC for the award of three major road projects, namely, the first phase of Sagbama-Amgalabiri, Agge Road, Kaima-Opokuma-Sabagreta-Polaku Road and Otueke-Onuegbum Road/Bridge. �The award of these contracts is a clear demonstration of the commitment of your board to sustainable development of the Niger Delta, which has suffered over four decades of officially acknowledged criminal neglect in the midst of boom�, the leader said. The principal of County Grammar School, Ikwerre Etche, Port Harcourt, Mr. G. N. Amadi also commended NDDC for donating science equipment to the institution, just as the chairman of Egita Youth Association in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area, Mr. Samuel Nwaoji gave kudos to the commission for building a six-classroom block for the Egita community. While the commission plans N10 billion project to save the Bakassi Peninsula from ocean incursion, no fewer than 3, 053 patients have benefited from the free health care services of NDDC, which took place at Bori, Ogoniland in Rivers State. In Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, 40 schools received science equipment, while a jetty was built in Creek town, Calabar, another jetty in Ode-Ugbo, Ondo State and a water project in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State. The commission, according to a consultant involved in drawing up the NDDC master plan, Theresa Griessel, has been fair in its distribution of amenities, among the nine states forming the NDDC. �Without such a plan, resources will be allocated arbitrarily and with less than optimal impacts on the lives of people and communities�, she added. The NDDC, no doubt, is a major instrument of performance by the present administration. The commission received accolades from virtually all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at a recent meeting while Ugochukwu has been conferred with various chieftaincy titles by monarchs of various communities that have benefited immensely from the NDDC�s goodies. Nevertheless, the commission would require about N300 billion yearly subventions to register the desired impacts, according to the NDDC boss, Ugochukwu. The commission only received N40 billion in two years, which is considered grossly inadequate to meet its Herculean tasks. There is no doubt that NDDC has alleviated the sufferings of the dwellers of the nine states that make up the NDDC but the managers of the commission must strive to live above board, by imbibing transparency and accountability.
Monday, July 19, 2004 |
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