The Central Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council has urged the Bayelsa State Government to partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to enable her achieve it’s mandate of developing the region.
In a bid to ensure development across boards, the Chairman also called on other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta to support the current board to deliver on its mandate rather antagonizing its developmental efforts.”
Also, the council called on the Federal Government and the national Assembly to increase the budgetary allocation to the Commission, NDDC to enable it to carry out its ever increasing mandate in the region.
Speaking on Wednesday in different locations in Bayelsa State, Perekosifa Iniefe, Chairman of Ijaw Youths Council Zone, maintained that this was the first time in history that all the Niger Delta communities will feel the impact of the Commission.
Ineife noted that no community in the region has been left behind adding that incidences of abandoned projects is now a thing of the past.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Samuel Ogbuku led NDDC.
He said:” We want to urge the Bayelsa State government to partner with the NDDC to ensure development across boards and also call on other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta to support the current board to deliver on the mandate of the NDDC rather antagonizing its developmental efforts.
“However, we are appealing to the Federal Government and the National Assembly assembly to continue to support the NDDC by increasing the budgetary allocation of the commission.to enable it meet the ever increasing developmental challenges of the nine states of the region.
“I can categorically say with facts judging by our assessment of the projects being carried out in our zone today that the current leadership of NDDC led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku has done tremendously well.
“Previously we have had so many abandoned NDDC projects, but what we can see in all the various ongoing projects embarked upon by this current NDDC board is that the narrative is changing..
“We can say that Ogbuku knows and understand the vision and mandate of the NDDC and he is running with it speedily.
“Our position is that while he is doing this, he should also do more. We understand the challenges involved in the board. From our tour, we can see that all the interior communities in the Niger Delta Region are feeling the impact of the present NDDC board which is first of its kind.
“We want to assure him that the IYC is in support and in solidarity with him and we commend President Tinubu for appointing a man who understands the challenges of the people and is delivering in its mandate.
Benson Ayibala the speaker Agbura Council Of Chiefs said that the community has been in squalor but thanked the NDDC for remembering the community.
He said: “Through the magnanimity of the MD today, we can see this gallant and magnificent edifice as corpers lodge.
‘We never wrote to the MD but he was so generous to remember us to mount this edifice that has beautified Agbura and it’s environs.
“We have the mandate to protect this facility. The MD has done well. We are very grateful.
Also speaking, a National Youth Service Corps member serving in Agbura Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Baylesa State, Marvelous Ifunaya, expressed appreciation to the NDDC for providing a conducive and befitting accommodation for corp members serving in the community.
She said the building and equipping of the corpers lodge will enable them carry out their primary assignment seemlessly and urged other government agencies to emulate the NDDC.
Some of the projects visited include, Internally Displaced Peoples .Camp, roads, class room blocks, ICT Centres , NYSC Corp members lodges, all in Bayelsa State.
