From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The problem with Nigeria, in terms of infrastructural development, is not to put the infrastructures on ground but how to protect them from vandals.
Over the years, government at all levels has laboured to put some facilities on ground, but, no sooner are they were constructed than they were vandalised, while the communities for which such projects were meant to serve, returned to square one.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for instance, has spent billions, if not trillions of naira, to build projects in its areas of operation, but some of these projects have, in the past, been vandalised. It is to guard against this ugly debacle that the commission recently embarked on a sensitisation of communities where its projects are domiciled.
In the light of the above, NDDC recently sought the cooperation of communities where its projects are sited to tackle vandalism and protect such infrastructures for sustainable development.
In so doing, the commission gathered some community youth leaders across some communities in Aba to have a one-on-one with them on how best to protect projects sited in their areas.
Speaking during the parley, Abia State Director of NDDC, Dr. Anderson Ukeh said the seminar titled, “Capacity Building Engagement: Community Ownership and Protection of NDDC Projects for Niger Delta Stakeholders”, was aimed at making communities partner with NDDC to fight the vandalisation of projects sited in their areas.
Ukeh revealed it was as a result of the vandalism of NDDC projects across its operation that made the MD/CEO of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to approve the seminar for some youths drawn from communities where NDDC has projects.
He added that the participants were expected to go back to their communities and spread the message on the protection of NDDC projects.
“It is quite unfortunate that many of the NDDC projects scattered in the various communities have been vandalised. In most cases, the people don’t see these projects as theirs, but believe they are government or NDDC projects therefore, anything can happen to them. It was to educate the people on the need to see such projects in their communities as theirs that made the NDDC MD/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to approve the sensitisation programme.”
Going further, Ukeh advised the participants that, “If you see anybody vandalising NDDC projects in your area, report the person to our office, and we will handle it effectively.”
Ukeh, who expressed joy that Abia is relatively peaceful, however, charged the participants to double efforts in safeguarding NDDC projects in their communities.
The facilitator of the programme, Stanley Okereke, said the participants, who with others, would, henceforth, be the eyes of NDDC projects in their areas, were chosen because of their track records. Okereke said the NDDC projects in the various communities must be protected to allow for sustainable development, adding that no community would grow if infrastructures put in place in their area are vandalised or destroyed. He said the fact that the NDDC officials cannot be everywhere to protect the projects in the various communities informed the idea of the programme.
Okereke said NDDC no longer sites projects in an area just for the fun of it, hence the present approach of consulting with stakeholders of the community to know the project that is desirable by them before they are sited.
“NDDC is now embracing the “bottom-top” approach where stakeholders of a community are consulted first to know their need before the project is sited.”
Participants commended NDDC for organising the event, stressing that projects of NDDC could be protected through what they described as stakeholders inclusiveness at the execution stage of the projects. They advised NDDC to make projects people or community-oriented and de-emphasise political patronage in citing its projects.
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