Dickson Lauds NDDC Boss on Developmental Strides
…. Ayakoro Community
By Philip Eke, Yenagoa
The immediate-past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, has applauded the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, for the achievements of the commission under his stewardship.
Dickson, who represents Bayelsa West Senatorial District, spoke at Ayakoro community, Ogbuku’s home town in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, during the 2024 edition of the community’s annual cultural festival, the Eyal Obeyin, on Saturday.
This was conveyed in a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, Pius Ughakpoteni, on Sunday.
Dickson noted that the developmental footprints recorded by Ogbuku in the community speaks volumes of the benefits of having a son who knows what to do and urged states in the Niger Delta to partner the NDDC to fast track the development of the oil-rich region.
The senator said he was impressed with the performance of the NDDC under the leadership of Ogbuku, noting that the MD and his team had demonstrated capacity and love for the region in terms of projects execution and policies implementation.
He said, “The NDDC under the stewardship of Dr Samuel Ogbuku is doing well. Ogbuku and his team are carrying out the mandate of the NDDC meritoriously well.
“I want to thank Ogbuku for remembering that he came from a place. The projects I’ve seen in this community and other parts of the Niger Delta, including my home town, especially the solar powered lights and others, clearly show that Ogbuku knows where he came from. It shows that he’s completely linked with his people at home.”
In his keynote address, Ogbuku, who was the special guest of honour, said the development imprints etched in the community were made possible by the peaceful nature of the people of Ayakoro who created the enabling environment for contractors to work without creating unnecessary levies which were not included in the contracts.
He stated that peace and development go together and advised communities in Niger Delta to cooperate with contractors to work, while assuring the people that the NDDC would not allow contractors to deny communities of their rightful benefits.
Ogbuku said the NDDC, under his stewardship, was committed to ensuring that projects awarded and executed by the commission had direct impacts on the benefiting communities.
He said the era of stalled projects was over, noting however, that the commission would no longer condone a situation where communities act as encumbrances to contractors handling NDDC projects in their areas.
“Ayakoro is a very peaceful community, and so here projects are flourishing. There’s never been any encumbrance to any project awarded here. My advice to communities is that they should be peaceful and cooperate with contractors executing projects in their area,” he said.
Ogbuku promised to support the Eyal Obeyin annual festival in order to promote tourism development in the community and the entire Niger Delta.
Earlier in his welcome address, the paramount ruler of Ayokoro, Chief Righteous Inegbagha, commended founding fathers and the present generation of the community for their resilience and dedication to the growth and development.
He remarked that the Eyal Obeyin was celebrated annually to recognise and appreciate the efforts of the founding fathers who accomplished the resettlement of the people of Ayokoro from the old settlement on a badly eroded site to the present location on 12th February, 1958.
