By Ebi Kesiena
Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
Mr. Chiedu Ebie, has re-stated the commitment of the new leadership in the Commission to quickening the pace of development in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking during a send-off party for the immediate top management staff of the Commission in Port Harcourt, Ebie commended the NDDC management for recognising and honouring retired directors for their various contributions to the efforts of the Commission in fulfilling its mandate.
He said: “We intend to put in our best to ensure that we change the narrative concerning the NDDC and the poor perception of the Niger Delta region out there. But more importantly, we need to work as a team to bring the much-needed development to the region.”
In a statement on Wednesday by Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni noted that Ebie commended the retired NDDC Directors for the decades of meritorious service they had given to the Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria as a whole, noting that it was a big honour to be recognised by one’s organization.
In his remarks, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, urged both serving and retired staff of the Commission to see the interventionist agency as their common patrimony that must be protected from unwarranted attacks.
He said that the NDDC management had approved an annual Christmas package for all former directors of the Commission, noting that it was important to always recognize and reward the efforts of staff and retirees.
Ogbuku said: “I tagged this event “the unbroken chain” because NDDC is a family and even for those who have retired, they must be respected and promoted for sacrificing the best part of their lives for the success of NDDC.”
He commended the retired Directors, pledging that the NDDC Governing Board would ensure that all their outstanding benefits were paid as soon as possible.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the NDDC Director, Administration and Human Resources, Mr. Patrick Ekade, described the send-off ceremony as a landmark event, as it was the first time the Commission was formally celebrating its retirees.
He said that the current NDDC management thought it wise to make the retirement process less stressful, noting: “The eight-year retirement policy of the Federal Government makes it imperative that many directors are retired in one go. The honour the NDDC is bestowing on the retirees is to give hope to the serving staffs. It is a celebration of hope for the retirees.”
Responding on behalf of the retirees, the former Acting Managing Director, Engr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, thanked the NDDC Board and Management for recognizing their contributions and celebrating them even in retirement.
He promised that they would continue to support the efforts of the NDDC whenever they were called upon to assist.
