Buhari expressed his satisfaction with NDDC’s recent reforms

… Stakeholders applaud MNDA and NDDC for their commitment to accountability and transparency

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been repositioned for the positive and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region as a result of reforms that were initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA). These reforms have been praised as having earned the President praise.

This commendation was offered by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, when he declared open the NDDC-PPP Summit that was taking place in Lagos. He did so on behalf of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

According to the minister, the president’s directive to reform the NDDC came at the perfect time because it has repositioned the Commission to be transparent, accountable, and run on the template of global best practices in public governance.

“By publishing in national newspapers a list of 2,506 completed projects executed by the Commission during the tenure of the Buhari administration from 2015 to 2022, we kicked off an era in which accountability and transparency would play a central role. The response to this level of dedication to openness in public governance has been phenomenal.

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“Today, we are witnessing an enthusiastic response by stakeholders and development partners to an invitation to dialogue on the development of the Niger Delta. This is because there is trust in public institutions that are run according to law and due process.

“A Public-Private Partnership would not be feasible in a government institution that is struggling under the weight of a trust deficit.”

“In keeping with the Action Plan to do things right, the government approved for implementation of some of the key recommendations of the Forensic Audit into the activities of the NDDC, while the White Paper on the Forensic Audit Report is currently being awaited.

“Contracts for 4,000 projects were terminated due to non-performance, as was recommended in the Report, and the terminations were announced in the local newspapers,” The procedure for recouping the money that was paid for the canceled contracts has been initiated.

Umana argued that the ministry has well-defined limits, providing a clear demarcation between supervision and interference, while at the same time insisting on the necessity of supervision.

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“I have made sure that there is no ministerial interference in the management of the NDDC,” he said, noting that the rapid positive perception of the NDDC is evident in the enthusiastic response of private sector players to the invitation to dialogue on the way forward for the development of the Niger Delta. He noted that the rapid positive perception of the NDDC is evident in the enthusiastic response of private sector players to the invitation to dialogue on the way forward for the development of the Niger Delta.

As a result, the Minister expressed his gratitude to the management of the NDDC for putting together the investment summit.

Meanwhile, stakeholders and political leaders have heaped praise on President Buhari, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, and the management of NDDC for engendering public confidence through a commitment to good public governance, which has had a positive impact on peace and stability in the Niger Delta region. This praise was directed toward President Buhari, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, and the NDDC management.

Speaking separately at the NDDC-PPP Summit, senator-elect Adams Oshiomhole, a former chairman of the APC; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Sen. Matthew Urhoghide; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Mr. Simbi Wabote; former managing director of the NDDC Mr. Timi Alaibe; and former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Mr. Dakuku Peterside acknowledged that things have changed

Oshiomhole questioned why anyone would run a government agency for three years with a handpicked sole administrator, when there was no provision for such an aberration in the enabling law that established the agency. He went on to note that such an anomaly could never inspire public confidence in the NDDC. Oshiomhole was referring to reported cases of mismanagement in the NDDC that occurred prior to recent reforms.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Atlantic Global Resources Inc. was one of the most significant events of the summit. The railroad that will be built will cost $15 billion and will link all of the states in the Niger Delta region into a modern transport hub.