By Jerome-Mario Utomi
In the words of Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance and best known for his political treatise, The Prince, written around 1513 but not published until 1532, five years after his death, “the first opinion that is formed of a leader’s intelligence is based on the quality of men he has around him. When they are competent and loyal, he can always be considered wise, because he has recognised their competence and kept them loyal. But when they are otherwise, the ruler is always open to adverse criticism because his first mistake has been in the choice of men around him.”
If the above leadership wisdom is juxtaposed with the recent significant appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of worthy Nigerians as members, governing board and management of a critical agency, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to assist the agency build trust, exhibit character, competence and connection through provision of sustainable development for the Niger Delta region and its people, it amply characterizes Mr President as an intelligent leader with consciousness that the first duty of a leader is to find the right people and assign them rightful positions.
For their part, members of the governing board and management of the commission, right from inception, established through early resolves, the truism in the time-honoured saying that “when we talk about Niger Delta solution to Niger Delta problems, it is because we know that we can permanently silence the gun if we act in solidarity and unity.”
In addition to holding together and defining themselves as a team, the commission’s leadership has in the main time maintained an unbroken bond of unity of which no one seems to understand the leadership culture or ideological thread holding these diverse peoples with different cultures and languages together.
The situation says something more!
Aside from developing steadfast dedication to fostering sustainable development, empowering communities, and catalysing positive transformation across the Niger Delta region, the Commission’s leadership/management has through consistent people-focused actions and regular stakeholders engagements ushered into the consciousness of Niger Deltans, a new concept of one united Niger Delta region, where the leaders speak with one voice, fight a common cause to protect the people’s economic, sociocultural and infrastructural interest of its people within the larger enclave called Nigeria.
In recent months, the commission under the present appointees has not only taken concrete steps and policy thrusts that will assist bolster infrastructure, and advancing social welfare initiatives, but is, to the admiration of its stakeholders, steadfastly committed to creating opportunities and enhancing livelihoods that have set the stage for the emergence of a new Niger Delta region that will morph from backward and degraded environment, occasioned by crude oil exploration, exploitation and production, to a more liveable environment dotted with modern infrastructures necessary for human comfort.
Like the nation’s national anthem, which observes that “though tribe and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand,” there is presently a compelling change in the outlook of the region. Niger Delta region has in recent days ceased to be a zone of fierce wars between ethnic and social forces.
Through the commission’s deployment of a participatory approach to development and broad-based consultative strategies that give the people of the region a sense of ownership over their issues, the region has morphed from hostility to a peaceful environment.
Separate from ending the long dark shadow which used to climax successive governments’ attempts to improve the well-being and economic development of the region’s individuals, peoples, and communities, also significant on the part of the commission’s leadership is their equitable allocation of benefits of growth which entails but not limited to infrastructural development and timely solution to challenges of job creation through various empowerment and human capital development programmes.
Out of so many examples of democratized infrastructural provisions by the commission under the present leadership, the 132/33kv electricity substation built at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State and the 27.35km Ogbia-Nembe road in Bayelsa State, a joint project of the NDDC and Shell Nigeria Exploration Company stand tall.
In like manner, the recently unveiled Youth Internship Scheme, a transformative initiative for 10,000 youths from the NDDC’s nine mandate states, aimed at uplifting the region’s youth by offering them hands-on experience, skills development, and financial support of N50,000, per month all throughout the year of the training, is a similar testament of the commission’s human capital development effort.
Today, the ghost of accusation and counter-accusation that used to trail the agency’s affairs has been put to rest. The people of the region and of course the watching world need no marking scheme anymore to know that the commission is working in the interest of the region and its people.
To use the words of the former president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, (GEJ), NDDC has seen the light under the present governing board and management. Just as the people of the region now push for a common economic initiative that promotes the development of their region.
This is the unique position of things in the region!
As the people of the region celebrate the current patriotism, passion, professionalism, integrity, creativity and team spirit coming from the commission, analysts are, however, not surprised with the ongoing positive progress emanating from the commission.
Take as another illustration, while many were of the view that Mr Chiedu Ebie, Chairman of the NDDC, is not just a lawyer but a seasoned technocrat who represents transformative leadership for the Niger Delta region, and capped with vast experience and innate capabilities that make him well-equipped to combat the enormous challenges, others in similar vein submit that Dr Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director of the NDDC, on his part, comes fully equipped to make a difference at the interventionist agency, as he boasts of an impressive profile spanning over twenty years of experience and expertise in crisis management and capacity building, built across diverse fields of excellent human endeavour.
Indeed, as the region and its people celebrate the commission’s offer of a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties in the Niger Delta region, this piece is particularly fixated on the support and healthy working relationship the commission enjoys with the members of the 10th National Assembly, particularly the Senate Committee on NDDC and its counterpart at the House of Representatives.
As noted in a recent but similar intervention, I recently had a fortunate opportunity to witness the commissioning by President Bola Tinubu of electricity and road projects executed by the Commission at Okitipupa in Ondo state and Ogbia in Bayelsa state respectively.
At the separate but related events, I listened with rapt attention to the goodwill messages delivered by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC. I also listened with interest to that of Honourable Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC.
Clearly, the content of their messages, going by objective assessment, showcased a Senate and House Committee desirous of seeing the NDDC board and management succeed in their statutory responsibility and the region blossom in infrastructure, healthy environment and human capital development.
At the events, the duo congratulated the NDDC and the people of the region for the breakthroughs and were particularly loud and clear in their promise of willingness to take any positive legislative step that will assist the NDDC governing board and management as presently constituted, succeed in its present statutory responsibility of bringing sustainable infrastructural and human capital development to the region and its people.
Certainly, this present understanding and pragmatic alliance by Barrister Chiedu Ebie led NDDC governing board and management, the Senate and House of Representatives Committees, for Niger Delta region development is not only commendable but timely. If sustained, it will usher in something positively new and different to the ongoing sustainable development in the region and its people.
Utomi, a communicator, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached via [email protected]/08032725374