NDDC moves to tackle vandalisation of critical projects, expresses ill feelings over destruction of projects 

Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced efforts to tackle the vandalisation of projects it has executed in communities of the region. 

The commission also expressed ill feelings over the destruction of their critical projects in communities, describing the menace as discouraging.

This was as the commission, in its ongoing sensitisation across the states of the region, Monday, orgaised a-one-day Capacity Building Programme for Stakeholders in Rivers State, on Community Ownership and Protection of NDDC Projects organised by Corporate Affairs Directorate of  NDDC, facilitated by Peace and Development Projects and Bitood Nigeria Limited, in Port Harcourt. 

Speaking, the Director, Rivers Operations, NDDC, Engr. Okezie Ule, noted that the capacity building training was to arm the participants with requisite knowledge on how to protect projects executed in their communities by NDDC.

Ule, who spoke for the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the training was long overdue considering  the extent of projects being executed in the region by the current management of the commission. 

Ule said NDDC is making every efforts to carry out people’s oriented projects and is taking further steps to safeguard complete and ongoing projects.

He said: “We’ve seen with dismay, how a lot of our projects, lofty projects, which even the communities strongly solicited for are left to ruin. Vandals went in, even some of them as valuable as solar light, that is lighting up most of our communities are vandalised.

“I know about one that was just completed and handed over like this week, but the next week, vandals, started bringing them down. 

“Well, it is a discouraging development that you put in funds into some crucial projects, especially those that has to do with crucial assets, pathways, and they are vandalised.”

He, however,  warmed criminals to stay off projects executed by the commission in communities,  urging people to ensure that facilities in their domains are not tampered with.

However, the Rivers State Representative in NDDC, Sir Tony Okocha, said the training is necessary because it is about protecting projects that are executed, commending communities for steps already taken to protect projects in the areas.

Okocha, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Technical, Mr Chibuzor Kwelle, noted that the projects of NDDC, expecially, the solar light projects has reduced criminality in communities.

Meanwhile, Project Coordinator, of Peace and Development Projects, Francis Abayomi, noted that the capacity building was to ensure that what has been provided for various communities by NDDC are protected.