Delta State Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has called for synergy between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), states and stakeholders to ensure the development of the region.
Speaking Wednesday in Asaba, when he received the management team of NDDC led by its Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, Governor Okowa said that the partnership would ensure the siting and non-duplication of projects in the region, explaining that it would allow stakeholders share information to attract projects beneficial to the communities.
‘’The partnership between NDDC and states would enable them to share information that will ensure that projects that are beneficial to the communities in Niger Delta are not duplicated by all tiers of government, as duplication will most often than not lead to non-functionality of such projects.”, he said.
‘’The partnership with NDDC is a welcome idea, we must all be committed to it because a lot of projects have been undertaken by the state government through the support of NDDC and I believe that this partnership will positively impact on the communities to ensure peace and development in the region’’ the governor added.
While commending NDDC on already completed projects in the state, Senator Okowa advised them to liaise with the state and local government councils in siting projects in their areas to ensure that such projects become useful and beneficial to the people.
He assured that state government would put into use the 8 primary healthcare centres across the state and the skill acquisition centre in Patani.
He reminded NDDC team that primary health care delivery was the prerogative of the Local Government Councils and they should be carried along in the siting of such projects for effective manpower planning and utilisation.
The governor commended the Acting Managing Director for her tour and audit of NDDC projects stressing that it would enable her know the challenges on the ground and gear up contractors to deliver quality jobs.
In a brief response, Mrs. Semenitari said that she was in the state to inspect and commission some projects and also to synergize with stakeholders on the development of the region.
‘’ This visit is in continuation of my tour of the mandate states of the Niger Delta Development Commission to carry out an audit of projects and commission some completed projects in Delta State’’ she said, calling on the state government to put into use the eight completed primary health centres across the state and a skill acquisition centre in Patani.
