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• As Okowa urges Commission to involve the people in project planning, execution

A Niger Delta Development Bank is to be established to cater for the development needs of the region, Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma Egba has revealed.

He made the revelation when he led management of the agency on a courtesy visit Thursday (18/5/17) to Government,  Asaba.

During the visit Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State urged  Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to involve the people of the area in project planning and execution.

Governor Okowa said the sitting of impactful projects in the region can only be achieved based on the actual needs of the people of the area.

“I want to welcome the spirit of partnership, and we are ready to co-operate with you on the development of the Niger/Delta Area, the state and your Agency need this co-operation to help our people, we need to create room for the contribution of the people in project planning and execution. l agree with you that we need projects that will impact  more on the life of the people. l want to call for proper monitoring of projects especially road projects and the need to strengthen and fund the department of quality delivery because it is important in the execution of projects”, he said.

He promised to support and co-operate with the  ongoing reforms by the board, assuring that the state would partner with NDDC in the proposed construction of the Omadino-Escravos – Okenrenkoko Road, stating that ” this is an important road that criss-crosses two major oil producing nationalities in the state.”

While advising the agency to collaborate with the Senate Committee on Niger/Delta on the funding of  NDDC projects, Senator Okowa supported the call on the Federal Government to re- constitute the Advisory and Project monitoring committees of the Agency stating that it will deepen the partnership between the state and NDDC in meeting the needs of the people and creating room for the people of the area to contribute to developmental projects, planning and execution.

Earlier, Senator Ndoma Egba, said that they were in the state to solicit the support and partnership of the state government in its on-going reforms of the NDDC, urging the Federal Government to re-constitute the Advisory and Project Monitoring Committees of the agency to improve accountability, transparency, cooperation and partnership.

He said that the agency was desirous of carrying out joint venture projects with member states in the spirit of partnership, stressing that to create an enabling environment for the relocation of the International Oil Companies (IOC’s) to the area, the NDDC would soon construct a fiber optic network in the region to deepen internet penetration and speed while a Niger Delta Development Bank would be established to carter for the development of the area beyond oil.