The Advisory Council of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has resolved to urgently address the funding challenges facing the commission so as to reposition it for better service delivery to the people of the region.

The Advisory Council which comprised of governors of the nine Niger Delta States of Delta, Edo, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo, Imo and Abia has Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State as its chairman.

The council, which met Saturday night in the New Government House, Asaba, also decried the attitude of some oil majors that defaulted on their funding obligations to the commission thus stalling the commission’s activities.

Olusegun Mimiko, the governor of Ondo State, who briefed the press after the meeting, said that the meeting has provided the council an opportunity to look into the funding challenges, programmes and budget of the commission.

He stated that the Advisory Council also looked at ways to leverage the outstanding funds from some of the oil majors that have defaulted on their funding obligations to the commission.

“We got a briefing from the chairman of the commission on the funding challenges facing the commission and we are ready to see how we can assist in resolving some of these challenges and how we can (recover) some of the outstanding funds from the oil majors”, Mimiko stated.

Mimiko explained that the Advisory Council also looked at the projects undertaken by the commission and urged the NDDC board to place emphasis on legacy projects that would create jobs for the people of the Niger Delta region and sustain the economy of the region beyond oil.

Dan Bassey Abia, the chairman of the board, in an interview said that the meeting has provided an opportunity to resolve the problems facing the commission, stressing that “we have started a new NDDC, things are getting better”.

Besides Mimiko, others in attendance were Theodore Orji of Abia, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers, the host governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan and the secretary to the Imo State government, who represented Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Also in attendance are members of the board and management of the NDDC.

Source: Business Day