|
New Page 8
NDDC: Race to replace Ugochukwu hots up
INEM AKPAN NSOH, Uyo and JAYNE OSONDU, Umuahia
THE names of
three nominees, one of who will succeed Chief Onyema Ugochukwu as chairman of
the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have been submitted to President
Olusegun Obasanjo by the Akwa Ibom State government.
Chief Ugochukwu’s tenure is expected to
end in December with the slot thereafter going to Akwa Ibom State. Ugochukwu
hails from Abia State.
In Umuahia, the Abia capital, where the
NDDC draft masterplan was presented to the public and later to top government
officials, Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu urged the commission to translate the document
into local languages so that the ordinary people can understand it and make
input.
However, in another development Governor
Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom told newsmen in Uyo that the state had moved to take
its tenure as NDDC chairman.
He said that from the three nominees the
president would then pick one name and send to the National Assembly for
approval.
The governor who did not mention the names
of those nominated, however, said, the action is based on a presidential
directive to that effect.
"I want to believe that as soon as this
office is vacated, he will send the name of his choice from the three I have
submitted to the National Assembly because the chairman has to be approved by
the National Assembly," he said.
Governor Kalu and members of the Abia
State executive council, to whom the masterplan was presented expressed optimism
that he and his colleagues in other oil - producing states would take the
masterplan serious and give it the deserved backing.
Governor Kalu advised those who talk about
scrapping NDDC to instead dwell more on the commission for projects.
"When people sometimes speak ill about
NDDC, I get worried because I know and have seen some of NDDC’s programmes.
"If all stakeholders, including the
Federal Government, oil companies and my colleagues will agree, I am sure and
convinced that this master-plan might send us to the promised land in terms of
development," he said.
Chairman of NDDC, Chief Ugochukwu,
explained that because of the urgency needed to start immediately the board was
inaugurated to carry out some intervention projects, they introduced what is
known as interim action plan.
He explained that projects executed under
the interim plan will eventually be merged with the master-plan, when completed.
He said the draft master plan is a
proposal and also a framework within which the NDDC, the Federal Government,
state governments, local governments and the communities will work together
towards the development of the Niger Delta.
"We believe that if all of us agree on a
set of objectives, it would not matter whether the present board of NDDC is in
place or not, whether the government is in place or not, the people who own the
plan will make sure that the plan is implemented.
"Please, take an interest in the draft
masterplan. Together, if we work on it, we believe that in the next 15 years the
masterplan will be most prosperous, the Niger Delta region will be the most
pleasant and peaceful region of the country," he said.
While presenting the draft master-plan,
Dr. Eyo Nyong, Commissioner representating Cross River State, and also chairman
of the draft committee, said the basic concern of the masterplan was how to
tackle the endemic poverty in the Niger Delta.
He said providing access to quality
education, health facilities, economic and environmental development as well as
energy are the surest ways to approach the problem.
Earlier, at the presentation ceremony of
the master plan, held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, participants
unanimously urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to extend the tenure of the
present board of NDDC as a way of making sure there would be successful
implementation of the plan when adopted.
Drawing from hindsight, the participants
Abia Deputy Governor, Dr. Chima Nwafor Archbishop Rogers Uwadi of Methodist
Church Nigeria, Umuahia diocese, Dr. Emenike Okoro of Abia State Agricultural
Development Agency (PDP) Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief Ralph
Egbu, among others, gave kudos to NDDC.
They however, expressed fear over the
successful implementation of the masterplan in view of past experience.
They spoke of the importance of continuity
as the only measure that would guarantee success of NDDC projects and programmes.
New Page 8
NDDC: Race to replace Ugochukwu hots up
INEM AKPAN NSOH, Uyo and JAYNE OSONDU, Umuahia
THE names of
three nominees, one of who will succeed Chief Onyema Ugochukwu as chairman of
the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have been submitted to President
Olusegun Obasanjo by the Akwa Ibom State government.
Chief Ugochukwu’s tenure is expected to
end in December with the slot thereafter going to Akwa Ibom State. Ugochukwu
hails from Abia State.
In Umuahia, the Abia capital, where the
NDDC draft masterplan was presented to the public and later to top government
officials, Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu urged the commission to translate the document
into local languages so that the ordinary people can understand it and make
input.
However, in another development Governor
Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom told newsmen in Uyo that the state had moved to take
its tenure as NDDC chairman.
He said that from the three nominees the
president would then pick one name and send to the National Assembly for
approval.
The governor who did not mention the names
of those nominated, however, said, the action is based on a presidential
directive to that effect.
"I want to believe that as soon as this
office is vacated, he will send the name of his choice from the three I have
submitted to the National Assembly because the chairman has to be approved by
the National Assembly," he said.
Governor Kalu and members of the Abia
State executive council, to whom the masterplan was presented expressed optimism
that he and his colleagues in other oil - producing states would take the
masterplan serious and give it the deserved backing.
Governor Kalu advised those who talk about
scrapping NDDC to instead dwell more on the commission for projects.
"When people sometimes speak ill about
NDDC, I get worried because I know and have seen some of NDDC’s programmes.
"If all stakeholders, including the
Federal Government, oil companies and my colleagues will agree, I am sure and
convinced that this master-plan might send us to the promised land in terms of
development," he said.
Chairman of NDDC, Chief Ugochukwu,
explained that because of the urgency needed to start immediately the board was
inaugurated to carry out some intervention projects, they introduced what is
known as interim action plan.
He explained that projects executed under
the interim plan will eventually be merged with the master-plan, when completed.
He said the draft master plan is a
proposal and also a framework within which the NDDC, the Federal Government,
state governments, local governments and the communities will work together
towards the development of the Niger Delta.
"We believe that if all of us agree on a
set of objectives, it would not matter whether the present board of NDDC is in
place or not, whether the government is in place or not, the people who own the
plan will make sure that the plan is implemented.
"Please, take an interest in the draft
masterplan. Together, if we work on it, we believe that in the next 15 years the
masterplan will be most prosperous, the Niger Delta region will be the most
pleasant and peaceful region of the country," he said.
While presenting the draft master-plan,
Dr. Eyo Nyong, Commissioner representating Cross River State, and also chairman
of the draft committee, said the basic concern of the masterplan was how to
tackle the endemic poverty in the Niger Delta.
He said providing access to quality
education, health facilities, economic and environmental development as well as
energy are the surest ways to approach the problem.
Earlier, at the presentation ceremony of
the master plan, held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, participants
unanimously urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to extend the tenure of the
present board of NDDC as a way of making sure there would be successful
implementation of the plan when adopted.
Drawing from hindsight, the participants
Abia Deputy Governor, Dr. Chima Nwafor Archbishop Rogers Uwadi of Methodist
Church Nigeria, Umuahia diocese, Dr. Emenike Okoro of Abia State Agricultural
Development Agency (PDP) Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief Ralph
Egbu, among others, gave kudos to NDDC.
They however, expressed fear over the
successful implementation of the masterplan in view of past experience.
They spoke of the importance of continuity
as the only measure that would guarantee success of NDDC projects and programmes.
|
