TheCable

Samuel Ogbuku, managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says all stakeholders in the region should unite to confront the complex challenges facing their communities.

According to a statement by Pius Ughakpoteni NDDC director of corporate affairs, Ogbuku spoke on Wednesday when he welcomed a delegation from the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) on a solidarity visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Ogbuku said the people of the Niger Delta region must be united regardless of ethnicity, noting that they are bound by common challenges, including underdevelopment and ecological issues.

“NDDC is for the nine states of the Niger Delta region, meaning I am here to work in the interest of the nine states of the region,” he said.

“No matter your ethnic group in the Niger Delta region, we all face the same challenges. Therefore, we must all work together to address our challenges.

“All Niger Deltans must be accommodating and work in harmony to drive the process of development for the well-being of our people.

“I was not appointed to look back or shift blame. I was appointed to look forward to fix the problems in the region.

“Regardless of our ethnicity, we are all related and we face common challenges. These challenges, like underdevelopment and ecological problems, bring us all together.”

Ogbuku said the commission has adopted a public-private partnership (PPP) strategy to fund major projects as part of measures to accelerate progress and address the persistent underdevelopment in the region.

“We are actively engaged in solar power projects to contribute to the fight against climate change,” he said.

“Our goal is to electrify every community using solar energy, while also seeking to recover carbon credits through our projects.

“Recently, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, and through that partnership, we intend to revive the Bonny Ring Road project which was stalled for many years.”