The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr Nsima Ekere, has identified poor governance as the biggest challenge to achieving sustainable development of the Niger Delta region
Ekere said this while delivering a paper titled, “Dangerous Beasts and How to Tame Them: The 4-R Strategy”, at beginning of a three-day retreat of the Commission at Onne, Rivers State, on Friday.
The paper was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on line in Abuja.
” Poor governance of self and institutions is at the heart of public sector delivery challenges, and these have resulted to poorly delivered infrastructure, lack of social services, pervasive poverty, resurgent militant attacks, pollution of the environment and decreased revenue to government.”he said.
He disclosed that the Niger Delta Master Plan, which originally required 15 years to implement at a cost of $50 billion has failed despite the region receiving $40 billion in ten years.
“Sadly, there is little evidence to show for the sums spent,” he said.
The NDDC boss stated that 50 years ago, “Nigeria, China and South Korea were at similar stages of development, but due to poor governance, Nigeria is way behind.”
He pointed out that per capital of the three countries which stood at $155 for South Korea, $89 for China and $92 for Nigeria, according to the World Bank, now stood at $27,221, $8,000 and $2,600 respectively.
He identified weak internal processes, procedures and control, weak organisational culture and unethical practices, among others, as factors impeding the successful implementation of the NDDC mandate.
According to him, the 4-R Initiative of the Governing Board is set to change things for the better.
“The 4-R strategy encapsulates the solution required to address the myriad challenges .
” The board will restructure the balance sheet, reform governance protocols, restore the core mandate of the Commission and reaffirm “a commitment to doing what’s right and proper.
“With about N1.2 trillion of the contingent liabilities on its balance sheet, NDDC needs to find ways to free funds for urgent development projects and programmes,” he said.
Ekere promised to review over-invoiced projects, determine wrongly procured contracts and recover mobilisation from abandoned projects
“We will also recover excess bank charges, recover outstanding IOC contributions and reschedule payment of outstanding statutory contributions of the Federal Government.”
He called for collaboration among stakeholders to achieve sustainable development in the Niger Delta, adding that the NDDC Governance and Reform Project (NGRP) will “catalyse the irreversible reform of the NDDC by enforcing compliance with rules and regulations.
“We must begin to do the right things in the Commission, no matter what it takes.
“Two things are likely to happen: it’s either we tame the beast or we get bitten by the beast. We hope to tame the beast, for the good of the people.” he said