“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” – African proverb
By Lazarus ILEMS, Port Harcourt
Any keen follower of recent activities in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would admit that the two agencies of the Federal government have so far set in motion the mechanism to recover its lost glory and accelerate the development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
It is no more news that before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, there were innumerable stories of how the NDDC was turned into a glorified Automated Teller Machine (ATM) only for the elites in the Niger-Delta. The downtrodden, who were supposed to benefit from the humongous funds sunk into the NDDC never felt the impact of the interventionist agency. Only the elites were smiling home with their pockets full of NDDC money.
It is however soothing that things have changed for good in the region especially under President Buhari and the current headship of Mr. Umana Okon Umana as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as well as the recently inaugurated NDDC board under the watchful eyes of Lauretta Onochie.
It will be recalled that at the just concluded retreat organized for the new NDDC board members at the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo, leadership of the commission in a communique, assured Niger Deltans that the Commission would endeavour to create partnership with International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other stakeholders through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in order to fund mega infrastructure projects in the region.
The new leadership, in their genuine desire to change the soured stories that were associated with the agency also promised to focus on mega infrastructure projects through the adoption of PPP as a major funding option to mobilize private sector resources and multilateral agencies which would create a robust economy that guarantees jobs and wealth creation.
However, their resolution didn’t come to the people as a surprise because the supervising Minister, Mr Umana, a renowned financial expert, had earlier quoted an African proverb which says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” thus, the PPP becomes imperative.
In saner climes, Govemment alone don’t provide all the infrastructure needs of the people. One viable option they use to attract development has been through the adoption and utilisation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
In Africa today, lesson abound in countries like South Africa, Kenya, among others, who not only embraced PPP as a viable alternative means of financing their infrastructure needs but have strategically incorporated this model into their National economic blueprint. PPPs are aimed at promoting a contractual relationship between public sector as a grantor and private sector as an asset creator and service provider which may take different forms such as finance, build, renovate, construct, operate, maintain, and/or manage a facility or system.
In their quest to cause meaningful change through the PPP model, the current leadership of the NDDC has not left any stone unturned in their search for multiple partners to develop the Niger Delta.
The NDDC in a statement via its official Twitter page said the plan was disclosed when the Managing Director of the commission, Samuel Ogbuku, led the commission’s executive management team to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) on Wednesday.
The commission noted that the quest to seek partnerships is part of its renewed approach to expedite the development of the Niger Delta in creative ways, irrespective of funding and liabilities challenges.
The statement explained that Mr Ogbuku was accompanied by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Charles Airhiavbere, and Executive Director, Projects, Charles Ogunmola.
The NDDC’s partnership overture to the NNPC comes on the heels of similar moves to get the hands of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and POWERCHINA in a multiple-partner ‘marriage.’
Truly, the Commission’s quest for multiple partners is part of its renewed approach to expedite the development of the Niger Delta in creative ways, irrespective of funding and liabilities challenges.
What’s more to say! Without any equivocation, Niger Deltans can attest that the difference is clear. The seriousness the current leadership of MNDA and NDDC attach to their assigned duties are encapsulated in the thought that Niger Delta people are hungry for development and unwilling to entertain rhetoric. Oh yes! People of the region had seen several leadership of the two agencies of government. They are now seeing a different leadership that is burning with desire to change lives and raise the bar in service delivery. For them, whatever this current crop of NDDC board stands for, it has to be about the people.
