By Sam Jones
YENAGOA (Sundiata Post) – Former Governor of Bayelsa State and now Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has called for synergy between Niger Delta states and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to fast track the development of the region.
An NDDC statement signed by Pius Ughakpoteni, Director, Corporate Affairs, said Dickson made the call at the weekend at Ayakoro Community, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, hometown of NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogboku, during the 2024 edition of the annual Eyal Obeyin cultural festival of the community.
He pointed out that the developmental footprints recorded by Ogbuku at Ayakoro community spoke volumes of the benefits of having a son who knew what to do and urged states in the Niger Delta region to partner the NDDC to fast track the development of the oil-rich region.
Dickson said he was impressed with the performance of the commission under the leadership of Ogbuku, noting that the managing director and his team have demonstrated capacity and love for the Niger Delta region in terms of projects execution and policy implementation.
He declared: “The NDDC under the stewardship of Dr Samuel Ogbuku is doing well. Ogbuku and his team are carrying out the mandate of the NDDC meritoriously well.
“I want to thank Ogbuku for remembering that he came from a place. The projects I’ve seen in this community and other parts of the Niger Delta, including my home town, especially the solar powered lights and others clearly show that Ogbuku knows where he came from. It shows that he’s completely linked with his people at home.”
In his keynote address, Ogbuku, who was the special guest of honour, said the development imprint etched in the community was made possible by the peaceful nature of the people of Ayakoro who created the enabling environment for contractors to work without creating unnecessary levies which were not included in the contracts.
He stated that peace and development go together and advised communities in the Niger Delta region to cooperate with contractors to work while assuring that the NDDC would not allow contractors to deny communities of their rightful benefits.
Ogbuku said the NDDC under his stewardship was committed to ensuring that projects awarded and executed by the commission have direct impact on the benefiting communities.
While declaring that the era of stalled projects was over, he pointed out that the commission would no longer condone situations where communities acted as encumbrances to contractors handling NDDC projects in their areas.
He observed: “Ayakoro is a very peaceful community, and so here projects are flourishing. There’s never been any encumbrance to any project awarded here. My advice to communities is that they should be peaceful and cooperate with contractors executing projects in their area.”
Ogbuku promised to support the Eyal Obeyin Annual Festival in order to promote tourism development in the community and the entire Niger Delta.
Earlier in his welcome address, the paramount ruler of Ayokoro, Righteous Inegbagha, commended founding fathers and the present generation of the community for their resilience and dedication to the growth and development of the community.
Inegbagha remarked that the festival was celebrated annually to recognise and appreciate the efforts of the founding fathers who accomplished the resettlement of the people of Ayokoro from the old settlement on a badly eroded site to the present location on 12th February, 1958.
