Former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan says political interference is inhibiting the progress of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Jonathan stated this at a summit organized by the NDDC in Port Harcourt with the theme; "Renewed Hope for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta Region".
The NDDC is a federal government interventionist agency established by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000, with the sole mandate of developing the Niger Delta region.
The former President appealed to political leaders to place the common interest of the people of the Niger Delta above personal interest.
He noted that development in the region was stalled since politicians took over the affairs of the Commission.
“The first leadership led by Onyema Ugochukwu as the Chairman of the board and Timi Alaibe who was the Executive Director of Finance and Administration and later became the MD showed some clear leadership and it appears as if the Niger Delta was moving in the right direction.
"But after that leadership, I think the NDDC got involved in too much politics. Let me say that we the politicians took over the NDDC and their progress and activities were slowed down and people started feeling that the impact of this agency was not well noticed”, he said.
Jonathan also asked the management of the NDDC to place priority on addressing the needs and challenges of the region while also tasking the commission to embark on people-oriented project that will have a lasting impact on the people.
The former Nigerian leader further called on the stakeholders to look beyond oil for sustainable development, saying that the region's over-reliance on fossil fuels for financial inclusivity is the major factor responsible for environmental degradation.
“But everybody knows that fossil fuel hydrocarbons the future is so bleak. It may dry up just like the Oloibiri oil field dried up. Or even if we still have it, global environmental politics may stop the exploitation of fossil fuels one day. And therefore, the Niger Delta would begin to see how they would start building Niger Delta without hydrocarbon”.
Jonathan equally commended the Management of the NDDC led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku for prioritizing the welfare of the people above other things.
He said that the testimonies of stakeholders and community leaders have shown that the board and the Management team of the NDDC are together to touch the people's lives.
