Managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, through the meandering creeks of the Delta, embarked on an inspection tour of projects executed by the NDDC in Oporoza and Ugborodo communities, in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Warri South West local government area of Delta State.
Speaking during the visit, the NDDC boss said the commission was poised to improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the region assuring that concerted efforts are being made to upgrade infrastructures across the region.
It was learnt that in the days of militancy in the Niger Delta region, the mere mention of Oporoza or its neighbour Okerenkoko sets off palpitations in many hearts.
While welcoming the NDDC team, an elated spokesman of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbebekama, urged members of the team to feel at home on the island.
Gbebekama and other community leaders of the town felt pained about the negative perception of Oporoza as a hot-bed of militancy.
“We are peaceful and law-abiding people like other Nigerians. All our people are asking for is development. We contribute enormously to the economy of Nigeria, so we expect that basic amenities like water and schools should be provided for us”, he said.
The Gbaramatu Kingdom hosts Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, which has numerous flow stations at the Jones Creek and Chevron oil terminal in Ugborodo.
Ogbuku inspected the shore protection project in Ugborodo, which had been stalled for many years. The situation at the site was not encouraging because the contractor was said to have abandoned the shore protection and reclamation project.
The NDDC team had earlier inspected the first phase of the canalization of Oporoza creek, which had been completed. Ogbuku, who led the team noted that the project would provide easy access and navigation for the communities and the oil company operating in the Gbaramatu kingdom.
Ogbuku, who was accompanied by the Executive Director Projects Mr. Charles Ogunmola and other Directors of the Commission, assured that work on all infrastructure projects in the Niger Delta region would be completed to positively impact on the lives of the people.
The inspection team also paid a courtesy visit to the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, King Oboro Gbaruan II, at his palace in Oporoza.
The NDDC boss identified Escravos as an area of special economic priority, stating that NDDC was taking steps to make it more accessible by rallying the support of stakeholders for a broad partnership that will expedite the construction and completion of the Warri-Omadino-Escravos Road.
He said: ”We have reached out to Chevron Nigeria Limited and other stakeholders, seeking for partnership for the completion of this road and other projects.
“We chose the Public Private Partnership, PPP, model as an alternative source of funding for the Commission. So, we have been going about seeking funding partners to complete our current projects and also start new ones.”
The NDDC boss noted that the partnership between the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, and the NDDC in the construction of the 25.735-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road should be replicated for other projects.
Ogbuku told the monarch that the 2024 NDDC budget would have inputs from all major stakeholders in the region, stating: “In our budgeting for 2024, we told our budget committee to have a stakeholder’s conference for it. The budget cannot be NDDC budget alone, it must be a budget for people of the region.”
The traditional ruler of Gbaramatu kingdom, King Oboro Gbaruan II, urged the NDDC to ensure that none of its projects was abandoned, noting that non-completion of projects was responsible for the slow pace of development in the Niger Delta region.
The monarch declared: “As traditional rulers, we are worried that development is not moving as fast as we expected. We have played our own role by ensuring that there is peace in the Niger Delta region. Having provided a peaceful environment, there should be no excuse for not developing our region.”
Earlier, in an address by the Gbaramatu Traditional Council of Chiefs, the spokesman of the kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbebekama, affirmed that the NDDC had several on-going projects which needed to be completed.
He observed: “In spite of the daunting challenges of the Commission, your intervention is evident in the Niger Delta and Gbaramatu Kingdom in particular.” According to him, NDDC projects in the area include the Warri-Amadino-Okerenkoko Road, the Seitorububou-Kurutie-Ubafan Road and bridges, canalization of Oporoza Creek, the reclamation and sand-filling of Benikurukuru community, among others.
The chiefs appealed to the NDDC to adequately fund the projects to ensure that they were completed for the benefit of the people, stating: “The NDDC was created to attend to the peculiar developmental needs of the Niger Delta region.”
The kingdom is the homestead of the former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
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