Going by the words of Frantz Omar Fanon, French Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist, political philosopher, and Marxist from the French colony of Martinique, whose works became influential in the fields of post-colonial studies, “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”
The above ‘’story of movement’’ appears to have found a home in Nigeria, precisely in Niger Delta region where the mission to develop the area was in November 2023, handed over to a newly appointed board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an agency set up in the year 2000, as a fresh beginning and a more focused effort to facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.
Before delving into details of critical developments that have visited the region under the present governing board and management, which has as Chairman, Chiedu Ebie, a lawyer, technocrat, former Delta State Commissioner for Basic Education and later Secretary to the Delta State Government, and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, a technocrat with a profile spanning over 20 years of experience and expertise in crisis management and capacity building, built across diverse fields of excellent human endeavour as Managing Director. This author will from a mental note and personal diary spread out cardinal lessons Niger Deltans, developmental professionals and other critical stakeholders have, within the period under review learned from the current NDDC’s leadership.
First, their mastery, and unwavering commitment to balanced communication between the board and stakeholders have finally confirmed as true the age-long axiom that says that when policies are freely discussed and publicly debated, the operations of a government becomes open to full examination by its citizens. Two, that when decision-making processes are subjected to vigorous discussion and debate by stakeholders and impacted communities, the rule of reason becomes the standard by which every use of official power is evaluated. Third and very fundamental, is that when ideas rise or fall according to merit, reason tends to drive all parties toward decisions that reflect the best available wisdom of the group as a whole.
The above lessons/new awareness were largely derived from the recently held Niger Delta Summit, which had critical stakeholders drawn from the NDDC mandate states, and aimed at developing strategies for economic growth and development of the Niger Delta region, translating the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu into an actionable plan and articulating a roadmap for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
Here is what qualifies NDDC’s culture of stakeholders’ engagement as both historic and legendary.
Before now, the people of the region listened with pains and confusion to slanted arguments that even in a democracy, government is at liberty to listen, take or discard advice and public opinion. Public opinion in the view of this group, do not always provide clear-cut policy guidance, and even when it is clearly in favour of a certain course of government action, the authorities may decide otherwise, particularly when they realize how uninformed, superficial, and changeable most opinions really are.
In the same vein, this author at different times and places listened with consternation to public office holders brazenly contend that government may also reject people’s opinion as a result of its own convictions, the recommendations of the public service, or the pressure of advocacy groups.
Indeed, while the above arguments peripherally appear admirable, they covertly do not hold water when faced with embarrassing facts. Directly and indirectly, such principles, commentaries and political postures adversely affect the infusion of human rights principles of participation, accountability, transparency and non-discrimination towards the attainment of equity and justice in development initiatives. As clarified by the United Nations’ Independent Expert on the Right to Development, for a programme to be tagged development, it must requires a particular process that allows the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights, and all fundamental freedoms, by expanding the capabilities and choices of the individuals.
It is factually backed that non-participatory leadership style and absence of balanced communication has in the past created terrible scenarios in the country where each time communities ask for bread, government agency makes ‘stones’ available, and in a similar manner, when the communities ask for fish, public office holders provided a ‘snake’.
Thankfully, the present happenings at the Commission are a direct opposite!
This feeling of a new order was succulently highlighted by the Commission’s governing board Chairman when he recently explained that: ”The Niger Delta stakeholders’ summit is an important part of the puzzle that we need to formulate the right strategies in dealing with the problems of the Niger Delta.
‘’So, what we’ve done is ensure that we invite critical stakeholders, drawn from the ethnic nationalities, the private sector and also, the public sector to sit down for two days and help us in fashioning out the issues and more importantly, the solutions that are needed to drive home the sustainable development for the region. In line with Mr. President’s new hope agenda. This mechanism would enable us have proper needs assessment of the region so that we’re not accused of doing things without hearing from the critical stakeholders and the people that matter the most’’.
The Chairman is not alone in this line of thinking as the Commission’s Managing Director echoed a similar sentiment, “Our focus in 2024 will be on continuous engagement with various strata of NDDC’s stakeholders, to grasp and understand the needs of the people of the Niger Delta region.
“The Commission is set to bring relevant stakeholders in the region together to discuss ways of improving the development of the Niger Delta region. We will chart a new course for the region. The stakeholders’ summit and forum would serve as a yardstick for feedback and possibly finding ways of improvement in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu”, he said.
Beyond efficacy of stakeholder’s engagement, this piece believed and still believes that another potent factor that has made the zeal daily demonstrated by governing board and management outstanding in their present ‘’rescue mission’’ of the region and its people from obscurity to opulence is largely predicated in their sole desire for nothing less than excellence and good quality service delivery to the people of the region.
This fact seamlessly manifested in the early assemblage through collective intelligence and excellent leadership and managerial acumen, well crafted thematic areas, programmes and initiatives for the sustainable development and overall benefits of Niger Deltans.
These programmes and initiatives include but not limited to: building partnerships, project hope for renewed hope, lighting up the Niger Delta, carbon emission reduction, sustainable livelihoods, improved youth capacity and skills base, effective and professional workface, efficient and cost-effective projects, improved peace and security and stakeholder engagement.
These feats have brought positive testaments on the Commission. Take as an illustration, former President Goodluck Jonathan, recently noted as follows: “With the birth of this current leadership of NDDC, people from the Niger Delta have seen some rays of light. Therefore, I encourage the political class not to overstretch the NDDC for them to be able to perform optimally. The political class must not frustrate the NDDC so that it can optimally perform its duties”.
Before you think that the former President’s words were not convincing enough, wait till you cast a glance at a similar testament by Hon. Udengs Eradiri, former president, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), former Commissioner for Youth Development and later Commissioner for Environment in Bayelsa State and Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Udengs, who spoke at the same venue with the former President, described the present governing board and management as the most disciplined board the Commission has ever had. Aside from noting that the board and management have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they understand the issues affecting the region and its people as well as the solution, he concluded that this is the first time the people of the region are not hearing of bickering in NDDC board.
Leaders of ethnic nationalities, professional bodies, and critical stakeholders from the Niger Delta region are not left out in this season of applaud for the NDDC.
Few months to the Niger Delta Summit 2024, the national chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, in a similar style led leaders of various groups to meet with the NDDC management team at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In an address read on behalf of the visiting delegation, Senator Ibok-Essien reportedly said that the leaders were delighted by the efforts of the NDDC to light up communities across the Niger Delta states, noting that it would help in fighting criminality in the region.
“The rural electrification projects have not only enhanced the aesthetics of these areas but also contributed to reducing nocturnal security challenges. We encourage the Commission to extend this initiative to all communities and ensure the training of local manpower for the effective maintenance of these facilities.
“We also appreciate the Commission’s efforts in road construction and rehabilitation, as well as human resources development through educational scholarships, women and youth development programmes, vocational and skills acquisition initiatives”, he said.
Viewed broadly, separate from the new awareness that those concerns that hitherto dominated the region’s discourse have today ended in the dustbin of history with all critical stakeholders morphed from complaint to applaud for NDDC leadership and harmony among ethnic groups within the region, one useful lesson we must not allow go with political winds is that ‘region or nation fails not necessarily because of its geographical location or lack of mineral resource but primarily because leaders in charge make decisions that engineer poverty. Most particularly as everything starts and end with leadership’.
The changing narrative in the Niger Delta region supports this assertion. This particular cognizance, in my view, should be another leadership lesson for all as we push for a new Nigeria of our dreams where peace, unity and enduring development shall reign supreme.
