The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has assured traditional rulers that the commission will allow various communities to choose development projects for their areas.<\/p>\n
Ogbuku stated this at\u00a0 the 13th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Forum of Monarchs in the South South in Asaba, anchored on the theme: \u201dStrengthening Collaboration for Development in the South South Region: the Role of the Traditional Institution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NDDC boss said that\u00a0 communities had the right\u00a0 to decide which projects would be more beneficial to their people, noting that the traditional institution remained a revered and the highest decision making body\u00a0 in every community in the country.<\/p>\n
He said that collaboration with the traditional institution would help to deepen development in the\u00a0 region by addressing the needs of the people, adding that every appointee and elected representative from the region,\u00a0 should\u00a0 present account of their stewardship to the traditional institution.<\/p>\n
Ogbuku said the commission had adopted the triple \u201cT\u201d policy, which translates to \u201cTransiting from Transaction to Transformation\u201d, as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of\u00a0 President Bola Tinubu.<\/p>\n
He observed: \u201cThe traditional institution is the best institution to collaborate with when it comes to development. This is because when it comes to governance, the traditional institution is the original foundation of governance.<\/p>\n
He said that for the traditional rulers to have called all the stakeholders to a meeting to collaborate to develop the region, was very instructive, stating; \u201cFor us in NDDC, we believe in such collaborations. If it was not there before, right now, we are trying to implement collaboration for sustainable development.
\n\u201d We started with our 2024 budget, we thought we had to start with Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) conference which took place in Uyo in 2023.
\n\u201cEvery strata, including the traditional rulers were represented to discuss the budget.
\nWe felt that\u00a0 was the right way to go instead of dictating what to do for the people, the people should rather dictate what we should do for them.
\n\u201cThis forum is very important to ensure that every public office holder comes here to present his account of stewardship. whatever positions we are holding, we are holding it in trust for you,\u201d he said.
\nOgbuku said that it was time for\u00a0 all\u00a0 stakeholders in the region to\u00a0 come together to \u201cweave the basket\u201d of development for the region, irrespective of position or party affiliation.
\nAccording to him, NDDC had been repositioned to address the ills of the past by building a corporate governance structure, and a database to curb the challenges of selection.
\nHe said that the commission had engaged the KPMG to develop a corporate governance structure,\u00a0 to ensure transparency and effective service delivery.
\nHe said that\u00a0 the\u00a0 Commission would build a database for\u00a0 youths, women, traditional rulers inall its activities to ensure development in the region.
\nAlso speaking, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, represented by Senator Jack Tilley-Gyado, lauded the traditional rulers for their roles in the communities.
\nHe said that if given a constitutional role, the traditional institution could bring to an end the security challenges facing the country.
\nHe\u00a0 urged\u00a0 them to guard against further degradation of the region\u2019s environment due to oil pollution and its attendant consequences.
\nAkume\u00a0 tasked the lawmakers to ensure the assigning of roles to the traditional rulers in the constitution.
\nOn his part, Senator Ede Dafinone, Representing Delta Central, pledged\u00a0 to ensure that the traditional institution was strengthened and assigned a role in the constitution.
\nAlso speaking, Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas, Representing Delta South, lamented the poor turnout of stakeholders from the region at the event.
\nHe\u00a0 called on elected and appointed politicians to account for their stewardship, and advised traditional rulers to create liaison offices for greater collaboration and unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has assured traditional rulers that the commission will allow various communities to choose development projects for their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n