Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has issued stern warnings to the Commission’s Board members to guide against underperformance.
The warning was issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt while inaugurating the newly appointed members of the board.
Pius Ughakpoten, Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, announced this in a statement which he made available to newsmen.
The statement read that the minister tasked the new board members on the need to improve the lot of the Commission under his watch.
It quoted Momoh as saying that President Bola Tinubu-led government had a template to measure the performance of ministries, agencies and parastatals, adding that failure would not be condoned.
The statement read, “It is also necessary for you to know that this administration is quite different from others because there are going to be a lot of supervision and monitoring in order for us to deliver.
“As you are aware, two weeks ago, myself as a minister, and the Permanent Secretary signed the performance bond with the President.
“And the performance bond that we signed has deliverables that are associated with the eight presidential priorities.”
It further stated that the members of the board were required to sign performance bond, adding that the bond signing would be done during a proposed retreat for the Board members and management team.
“So, it’s very, very important because the president is not joking with this and, from time to time, we are expected to present our reports.
“And there is also a committee that will be set up by the president to monitor the performance of each ministry and agencies.
“So, I think I want this one to be behind your mind so that as you start your work, you know exactly what is expected from you.
“I want to also use this opportunity to appeal that this time around, we need to change the narratives,” it read.
It urged the Board to focus on the completion of abandoned projects across the nine states of the region, also stressing the need to offset the Commission’s debt to its contractors, especially the local contractors.
The Chairman of the Board, Chinedu Ebie, also called for collaboration among the stakeholders in a bid to drive the Renewed Hope Agenda by the present administration.
Ebie said, “We will execute legacy projects based on detailed needs assessment and seek strategic collaboration with opinion leaders, community leaders, professionals, and development partners.
“We will look back at the vision and history of NDDC’s 23-year existential journey, aligning it with current realities and the objectives of the current administration. This approach will illuminate the yearning needs of the people of the region, identify the commission’s challenges, and proffer workable solutions.
“We acknowledge the genuine endeavours of our predecessors, who, at various times, worked toward the development of the region through infrastructure and human capital development.”
