As we all know, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established by the Federal Government to fast track the developmental pace of the Niger Delta Region.
Given that the Region is still in a deplorable state, we have tried to know why the Region is still the way it is.
Based on this, we have identified that, if the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is freely allowed to function without unnecessary interference, its operations will be very smooth. The Funds allocated to the Commission are often times not fully utilized or exhausted before the end of the Budget Year due to delay in passage of the budget by the Authority saddled with such responsibility, and most often due to unnecessary petitions against the Commission which sometimes lead to the restriction of the Commission's Accounts, and we know that unutilized funds are always sent back to the Coffers of the Federal Government at the expiration of the budget year.
When these happens, the Commission finds it very difficult to meet up with its obligations to genuine Contractors and Vendors who have completely done their jobs.
Most Contractors & Vendors after doing their jobs troop to the Commission to beg to be paid, and this runs into several years of indebtedness, and some of them even fall sick and loose their lives. Others incur huge debt via interest rate from Banks also due to non payment, and this accounts to why most Banks have resorted to stop funding NDDC Contractors/Vendors & Contracts.
In view of this, we humbly make this passionate appeal to the Authorities involved to help in the speedy passage of the Commission's Budget, and the frequent restrictions of their accounts based on frivolous petitions should also be discouraged.
In the same vein, we call on the present IMC of NDDC to look at their records and pay all those that have long completed their jobs without much delay instead of them to constantly coming/trooping to the Commission begging to be paid.
If these can be achieved, it's our strong belief that the Commission will constantly meet up its financial obligations to genuine Contractors/Vendors who have actually done their jobs, and this will encourage others to speed up and finish the jobs awarded to them, and with this the uncompleted or abandoned jobs littered in our Region will be a thing of the past, and we will truly see the Infrastructural Development of our Region by the NDDC.
With this, our people will be happy, Development will be seen & felt and more Youths will be gainfully engaged which will invariably reduce insecurity to the barest minimum in the Region.
May God Almighty help us.
NWALA CHARLES IKENNA
PRESIDENT, ETCHE LIBERATION YOUTH ASSOCIATION
