Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has clarified that the Senate screened him for a four-year tenure as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
This was as he announced that President Bola Tinubu has renewed his appointment as the Managing Director of the NDDC for another four years.
He said this as he provided clarity on the issue of the tenure of the current Governing Board of the Commission, stating that the members were appointed for a four-year tenure.
Ogbuku made the clarification while addressing a press conference at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt.
He said insinuations in some quarters that his tenure as the Managing Director would end this year was false and without any foundation.
Ogbuku stated that, subject to the provision of Section 4 of the NDDC Establishment Act, “a member of the board other than ex-efficio member, shall hold office for a term of four years at the first instance and may be reappointed for a further term of four years and no more.”
He said those pushing for the truncation of the tenure of the NDDC Board were not happy that members were working harmoniously to deliver on the mandate of President Bola Tinubu for the people of the Niger Delta Region.
The NDDC CEO lamented that, in spite of the efforts of the NDDC Board and Management to deliver on quality projects and programmes, some people allegedly with selfish motives were working behind the scene to return the Commission to the days of instability and non-performance.
He stated that nothing would distract the NDDC Board and Management from holding fast to its mantra of “Transiting from Transactions to Transformation.”
Ogbuku advised those scheming for a change of batons at NDDC to hold their horses. He said President Tinubu has re-appointed him for another term of four years.
The NDDC Chief Executive noted that the Niger Delta Region should be ready to see more people-oriented projects and programmes.
Ogbuku assured that as soon as the 2024 Budget of the Commission was signed into law, the on-going efforts to complete legacy projects would gain momentum.
He pointed out that the plan in the budget was to raise N1 trillion from development and commercial banks for the completion of legacy projects spread across the Niger Delta Region.
Ogbuku explained that the legacy projects included regional roads, bridges, electricity projects, school buildings, hospitals and shore reclamation and protection, among others.
He also outlined recent initiatives of the Board to include the Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Summit, which was a culmination of other engagements with the youth groups and women.
He assured that the resolutions of the summit would inform future actions, stating that the communique would be presented to President Tinubu.
Ogbuku spoke on the NDDC Healthcare Programme, which caters to the needs of rural communities. He said the recent free medical outreach across the nine states of the region was successful, leading to plans for holding the event biannually.
He further said the Commission had acquired and distributed 13 ambulances to regional hospitals in response to a cholera outbreak. He added that it was working to secure more ambulances and cholera vaccines to prevent further incidents.
In the education sector, the NDDC boss highlighted the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme of the Commission. He noted that 2,323 students in the region had so far benefited from the programme.
Ogbuku added: “We have released the initial funds for beneficiaries of the 2024/2025 scholarship programme. In response to the rising costs of foreign education, we are considering offering local undergraduate scholarships.”
The NDDC boss assured that the era of not having data or evidence of projects and programmes was gone. He added the current Board and Management of the Commission had adopted strategies to showcase its activities.
