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The Delta State Oil Producing And Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has been applauded for handling the affairs of the commission in line with international best practices

The Forum of Delta State NGOs made the commendation in a press release signed by the Co-ordinator, Deacon Okezi Odugala.

In the statement, the Forum commended the Chairman of DESOPADEC Chief (Barr) John Nani, the Managing Director, Chief Festus Ochonogor and the entire management for adopting international best practices in confronting the environmental, social and economic challenges confronting the oil bearing and impacted communities of Delta State.

Deacon Odugala noted that DESOPADEC is the only interventional agency at the sub-national level globally that is implementing Goal 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and participated fully at the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP28 Dubai partnering with Nurses Across the Borders International and the Center for Sustainable Development of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources on providing solutions to issues of Climate Change that is devastating oil communities.

He decried the ugly situation which has brought untold hardship to the people who are already suffering from decades of environmentally unfriendly oil exploration activities and human mismanagement of natural resources through mitigation and adaptation mechanism.

Odugala said: “As a foremost NGO Advocacy, Policy Tracking and Project Monitoring Think-Tank, we commend DESOPADEC for her proactive commitment to environmental sustainability by her various clean up and canal de-siltation interventions across Delta State to redress the perennial flood and erosion menace both in land and coastal communities.

“We also applaud the skill acquisition training programmes by the DESOPADEC Skill Academy and capacity building for management and staffs of all cadres.

“We ‘ll like to encourage DESOPADEC to continue in this positive disposition as they uphold good governance practices of transparency and accountability and call on the management to drive initiatives in the areas of digital technology, smart agriculture, renewable energy utilizing flare gas, provision of modern health facilities and capacity building, eco-tourism development, artificial intelligence and robotic engineering, entertainment, cultural relics and ecological biodeversity preservation of flora and fuana already facing extinction in the state.

“As the world is transiting from a fossil fuel economy, we must prepare ourselves for the reality of a Delta State Beyond Oil.”

Deacon Odugala appreciated Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator (Dr) lfeanyi Okowa for giving DESOPADEC all the needed support.

“We call on both the international oil companies, multilateral organizations like the Africa Development Bank, World Bank, British Council, USAID, GIZ and many others to partner with DESOPADEC as well as advise the management and staffs to braze up to deliver on their mandate as it is No More Business As Usual.

“We ‘ll continue to partner constructively with DESOPADEC to implement sustainable development,” Deacon Odugala assured.