NDDC must complete regional master plan—Critical stakeholders

Critical stakeholders have renewed calls for the speedy completion and implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan, a project championed by the late Sir Davies Okoro Okarevu, who served as Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The appeal was made during his posthumous 60th birthday celebration and the launch of the Davies Okarevu Hearts of Hope Initiative in Port Harcourt.

Sir Davies was instrumental in shaping the Niger Delta’s long-term development vision and was a key architect of the NDDC regional master plan, which aims to transform the Niger Delta into a prosperous, stable, and ecologically regenerative region.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Iniruo Wills, a development consultant and environmental justice lawyer for Niger Delta communities, paid glowing tribute to Sir Davies’ life of service, excellence and community leadership, while underscoring his pivotal role in shaping the Niger Delta’s long-term development vision.

He said: “Sir Davies, who served as Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the NDDC, was a key architect and promoter of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan, who successfully coordinated the first phase of the Niger Delta regional master plan currently being developed, and provided strategic guidance for subsequent stages even in ill health.”

Wills, a two time commissioner in Bayelsa State, therefore called for a bold acknowledgment of the role of the deceased in the completed Masterplan document and during its execution.

He highlighted three defining pillars of the late development strategist’s life to include excellence, commitment to people, and commitment to community noting, “what made his scholarship remarkable was not the accumulation of certificates, but the application of knowledge to responsibility.”

He added: “His life was a reminder that success is incomplete if it is not shared; that influence is wasted if it does not create opportunities for others; and that joy becomes richer when lived in fellowship.”

Wills, however, emphasized, that beyond personal and professional achievements, Sir Davies’ greatest legacy lies in his consistent contributions and pivotal role towards crafting a development blueprint  for the Niger Delta, stressing that prioritising the implementation of the master plan would democratise opportunity and improve the lives of communities across the region.

Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of NDDC, Dr Patterson Ogon, extolled the virtues of his predecessor, describing him as a natural leader and exemplary administrator whose impact transcends the Commission.

In his remarks, the pioneer Director of Planning of the Commission, Mr Atei Beredugo, affirmed how Sir Davies, upon joining NDDC, proved to be a great asset in the process of producing the first development masterplan for the region.

Guests drawn from a mix of citizens called on the NDDC and its development partners to honour Sir Davies’ memory by ensuring the timely completion and disciplined execution of the regional development strategy he championed.

Highlight  of the event, was the successful launch of the Davies Okarevu Hearts of Hope Initiative, put together by his  wife, Dr Mrs Angela Davies Okarevu, and his friends to immortalize a life defined by service, mentorship, faith and community building.

Several guests hailed the vision of Mrs Angela Okarevu and others who worked with her to create the charity platform, and numerous donations and pledges were made to the Davies Okarevu Hearts of Hope Initiative.