The Governing Board and the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have kicked off a brain-storming session with experts in different fields to chart a new trajectory for the interventionist agency in the Niger Delta region.
According to the programme released by the NDDC, the three-day Board and Management Retreat begins on Friday, January 20, at the Ibom Icon Hotels and Golf Resort in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and will end on Sunday January 22, 2023.
The event with the theme: “Repositioning NDDC for Effective Service Delivery to Make a Difference”, will be declared open by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana, who will also present a keynote address.
The retreat programme lines up experts to speak on diverse topics meant to equip the Board and Management with relevant information to play their various roles to ensure that the NDDC lives up to its mandate of fast-tracking the development of the Niger Delta region.
Some of the topics slated for the retreat are: “Essentials of the Public Procurement Act,” to be handled by the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr. Mamman Ahmadu; “Overview of the National Strategy on Public Service Reforms and Critical Issues in Public Service Reforms, to be treated by the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi.
Others are: “The Auditing Function: Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), by the Managing Director, BESTWAYS, Dr Victor Dare, while Mr Niyi Fagbemi will address the topic: “Guidelines to Accounting Procedures and Imperatives in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”
The programme further shows that the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, will discuss the “Guidelines to Administrative Procedures in Relation to the Role of Governing Board Members”; this will be complemented by a syndicate group session on “Relationship Between the Supervisory Ministry and Boards of its Parastatals: Challenges and Corresponding Solutions.”
It could be recalled that on Wednesday January 4, 2023, the Governing Board of NDDC was inaugurated with President Buhari’s former Special Assistant on New Media, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, as the substantive Chairman. She represents Delta State on the Board; Dr. Samuel Ogbuku from Bayelsa State became the Managing Director of the Commission; Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo State, serves as the (Executive Director, Finance); while Mr. Charles Ogunmola from Ondo State, took charge as Executive Director, Projects.
Others are Dr. Emem Willcox Wills (Akwa Ibom State); Mr. Dimgba Eruba (Abia State); Elder Senator Denyanbofa Dimaro (Bayelsa State), Hon. Orok Duke (Cross River State) and Mr. Gbenga Edema (Ondo State).
Also, on the Board are Mr. Elekwachi Dimkpa (Rivers State), Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar (North Central), Alhaji Sule-Iko Sadeeq Sami (North West) and Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, (North-East).