Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has called on Governors and Ministers from the Niger Delta region, as well as government agencies, International Oil Companies (IOCs), development partners and other critical stakeholders to join hands with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in fast-tracking the development of the region.
Ekpo made the call in a speech delivered at the 6th Meeting of the National Council on Niger Delta (NCND), with the theme: “Stimulating Strategies for Economic Growth and Development in the Niger Delta Region,” held yesterday at Unity Hall, Government House Complex, Asaba, Delta State.
A statement by Ekpo’s spokesperson, Louis Ibah, quoted the Minister as lauding the management of NDDC for projects executed so far to boost infrastructure and human capital development in the region.
Ekpo however said working unilaterally without inputs from other critical stakeholders had its limitations for the NDDC in the formulation of policies and projects for the region.
He said, “The Niger Delta region has what it takes to develop this country and the region, but we have to be formidable in whatever we are doing. The NDDC is just a small entity that is crafted for the Niger Delta region, all of us should bring in inputs into whatsoever they are doing, we should come in and contribute, we should come in and say this is what we want. So, I call on stakeholders in the region to come down and sit with the NDDC and marshal out what needs to be done to move this region and our nation forward.”
According to the Gas Minister, ”When the NDDC acts on its own, they will only do what they believe they should do, and to the level that they think they should do it, but when we come together with them, we can fashion out something more important and sustainable for the region.”