The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC), Ibim Semenitari has said that the 2016 budget of the
commission, when passed into law by the National Assembly, will focus on
wealth creation and skill acquisition for the people of Niger Delta.
The NDDC boss said this on Friday in Abuja while appearing as a special
guest on an interview programme segment of the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN).
According to her, to achieve some of the set goals, a US based Ford
Foundation is set to partner with the commission with their expertise
and funds for the planned wealth creation and skill acquisition training
programs even as she added that the commission is poised to collaborate
with similar agencies that will help with the development of the region.
Still on the 2016 budgets, Semenitari disclosed that 80 percent of funds
to be appropriated for the capital budget will be for the completion of
ongoing projects, while 20 percent of the funds will be expended on new
projects.
“The commission takes inputs from mandate states, legislators, community
leaders, civil society groups in order to identify projects that are
needed in their areas so as to avoid project duplications.” She added.
She commended the National Assembly on their meeting with stakeholders
including multinational oil corporations operating in the region
expressing confidence that the oil companies will pay the money they’re
owing the commission as promised during the legislative hearings.
Paucity of funds notwithstanding, the NDDC boss said the commission has
commenced payments to contractors in batches adding that high impact
projects are also identified, completed and paid off.
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