The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku has said that the new leadership in the commission has resolved to buy into a common vision that would be in the best interest of the Niger Delta region.
At a meeting with the new Executive Management and staff of the commission at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Ogbuku assured that members of the Board would work in one accord to impact positively on the lives of the people of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
He further said: “I am glad that we now have a compatible team that is poised to deliver the best services to the people of the Niger Delta region. I feel more relaxed now that we are set to go on full steam. We have to work hands in glove to change the face and fortunes of our region”.
Ogbuku stressed: “We will not allow people to come between us to sow seeds of discord. It is in the interest of the staff and all stakeholders that the management team is united”.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer observed that one of the major challenges the commission faced in the past was the frequent changes of the Board and Management. He, therefore, urged the staff to play a positive role to ensure that there was harmony among the Board members and the Management.
Ogbuku charged the staff to always be professional in the discharge of their duties, advising that they should not dabble into politics or spread negative stories about the Commission for selfish or ethnic interests. He assured them that the Executive Management would continue to pay attention to staff welfare to create a conducive atmosphere for optimal performance and efficient service delivery.
The Managing Director appealed to staff not to mislead the new Executive Directors by playing the ethnic card or swaying to primordial sentiments, cautioning that the Executive Management should be allowed to work for the benefit of the entire Niger Delta region.
He stated that the new Board was made up of men who are grounded in knowledge and varied experiences, noting that the members, being well endowed in their various disciplines, would surely deliver the needed benefits for the growth of the Niger Delta region. He said: “I am confident that the tenure of this Board will be peaceful and productive”.
NDDC Executive Director for Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye re-echoed the views of the Managing Director on the need to prioritise staff welfare, stating: “All we ask from the staff is cooperation and diligence to their duties”.
The Executive Director for Projects, Sir Victor Antai stated that the new Board was poised to succeed. “Where others failed, this team will not fail,” he said.
He advised NDDC staff to shun gossip and idle talks and cautioned: “Don’t come to gossip to me.” He further said: “Please, allow me to make my own friends. I don’t want to inherit anyone’s enemies because my own philosophy is live and let live”.
The Executive Director Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde re-stated the need for organisational harmony in the activities of NDDC as an interventionist agency. “We will work as one united family to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta region”, he promised.
On behalf of the staff, the Chairman of NDDC Staff Union, Comrade Anthony Gbendo applauded the Managing Director for facilitating the approval of the staff conditions of service, which he said was delayed for several years.
He pledged the support and loyalty of his members to the new Board to ensure that they succeeded in their assignment.
