~ Prof.Brambaifa.
The Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Prof. Nelson Brambaifa has expressed his zeal and commitment to turn around the economic fortunes of the people of the Niger Delta region, who he describe as lacking in basic amenities and sinking under the weight of excruciating poverty. In a chat with newsmen and media executives in his office at the Commission's headquarters in Port-harcourt, the MD decried the unfortunate prevailing circumstances and his desire to have narratives of the region changed for the better.
Prof. Brambaifa who has being a seasoned academician, Unionist, activist, and an acomplished professor before his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari to head the NDDC, informed the media personnels that he is fully aware of the situation and has even at previous engagements proffered possible solutions to the issues on paper, and that this appointment has provided him the ample opportunity to put some of the these modules into practice to get the desired results.
"I don't think anyone doubt the challenges facing the Niger Delta, ranging from insecurity, unemployment, poverty, Youth restiveness, the total lack of solid infrastructure and so on. While somebody can easily argue that these challenges are not peculiar to us, and would want to describe them as Nigerian, I believe that apart from the fact that Charity begins at home, we in the Niger Delta, with sincerity of purpose and the political will have all it takes to salvage ourselves (or at least begin the salvation process), besides I am the MD of the NDDC hence the Niger Delta is my primary concern. You all are aware that before my appointment, I had been an academician and served in institutions around the Niger Delta and beyond, therefore, I fully understand the demands of my current position, I have interacted with various strata of the Niger Delta society and understand the very nature of our problems", he said
Speaking further, Brambaifa stated "If you are aware (of course you do) that upon my appointment I promised to stick to the Core objectives of the Commission and to us, it is the instrument of my appointment to try and turn around the fortunes of the people. Though we may not be able to make every individual of the Niger Deltan rich or comfortable, but you can agree with me that if every organ and institutions of government functions only close to optimally, we can make for the greater happiness of the greater number of the population. Accordingly, we reviewed all existing programms in line with their usefulness as tools for development, especially as tools for alleviating extreme poverty in the region. My administration after comprehensive study of relevant details, have revived ailing programms and ready to introduce new models soon"
The Ag. MD expressed his believe that the insecurity and restivness in the region is not inseparable from the ravaging unemployment and poverty in the region, and that in order to ensure the safety of human lives, properties and make the region conducive for socio-econimic development, we must first ensure that people have to eat, drink good water, and have shelter over their heads, to do this Brambaifa opined that while the government work towards the creation of regular jobs in line with it's Next Level Agenda, the NDDC as an Interventionist agency can be creating alternatives to engage our people especially the youthful, most of whom are even educated days in areas of either skilled or unskilled labour, "I can assure you that in a society where you have a lot of graduate unemployment, the situation can best be described as an open invitation to anarchy and doom, either in the form of brain drain or in terms of insecurity or continually restive youth. The various platforms like the water hyacinth clearing Program, trainings, agricultural loan schemes, scholarships and the Niger Delta Youth Volunteer Scheme, which we have reintroduced to complement other programs of the Commission under my stewardship is aimed at engaging our people and curb some of these concerns" he added.
Brambaifa further explained that his administration as MD has engaged the highest number of youthful population in it's ranks, to allow more youth participation in the development architecture of the region. The idea behind the mobilisation of funds for contractors and other activities of the Commission is like Scholarships, Medical Aid, emergency jobs, solar water projects and the likes is aimed at strengthening of the security of the region to foster developmental activities for economic boom not only for Niger Deltans, but to an open door to the nation as well.
Brambaifa used the medium to appeal to beneficiaries of these programs to remain calm, as the temporary delay in implementation is as a result of necessary administrative procedures that must be followed, and promised that his administration is fashioning out ways to reduces these bottlenecks to a manageable limits.
Signed:
Barr. Igbeta Ayebakuro
SA Media/Publicity to the Ag. MD/CEO, NDDC.
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