NLNG under pressure to fund NDDC

Pressure is being mounted on the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) located in Bonny Island, Rivers State, to join in funding the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) within the laws that set up the Commission.

This is the highlight of the report of the two-day stakeholders’ forum, which ended on Tuesday in Port Harcourt. Participants at the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD), which was revived by the present managing director, Bassey Dan-Abia, after four years lull, also demanded for the release of amounts owed the Commission by the Federal Government and some other funding partners (about N1trn).

The communiqué at the end of the event pointedly demanded for what they called bailout fund to rescue the Commission and boost its ability to execute ongoing projects of over N1.4 trillion.

The communiqué urged the NDDC to embark on a scheme to help the youth in the oil region to set up enterprises to reduce unemployment and restiveness. It also called for urgent action on redressing the ecological devastation of the oil region and suggested databased approach of all environmental issues and oil spills in the region.

On the NLNG, the participants wondered why the corporation turned its back on efforts to develop the oil region from where it gathers the gas (120 locations) that feed its trains in Bonny. “Gas is part of oil and this is part of the hydrocarbon industry. The NLNG must remit its own quota (3% of annual budget) to the Commission.

The NLNG however revealed recently the huge sums it had committed to the development of its host state and region. In Rivers State alone, the company mentioned over N38.7 billion it may have pumped into the state, especially in Bonny, and another N5 billion to upgrade the Bonny Vocational Centre (BVC), which had already gulped N3 billion.

The company said it had so far pumped over N20 billion into corporate social responsibility infrastructure projects in Bonny. Kudo Eresia-Eke, general manager, external relations of the NLNG, disclosed these as pressure mounted on the company to show it was a good corporate citizen.

The communiqué at the NDDC stakeholders’ forum made it clear that the PSD was the clearinghouse of the projects and programmes as well as cohesion centre of the Commission.

The 300 delegates from several countries harped on the need to look beyond oil and lamented income inequality in the region.

The communiqué recommended aggressive harnessing of human capital resources of the region, and end to multiple scholarships, and a review of the Niger Delta Master Plan.

The office of secretary to the Federal Government who spoke through the permanent secretary, William Alu, assured the Dan-Abia-led executive of the support of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government and urged them to send proposals to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation on some projects as a new way on partnership.

He said the management of the NDDC was on the right course.

On his own, the chief of staff to the special adviser on Niger Delta (Amnesty section) said the forum was specifically meant for the youth and their welfare saying their struggle led to the huge concessions made to the region especially the creation of the NDDC.

He said it was commendable for the activists to lay down their arms that led to the peace the oil region enjoyed at the moment, saying the Amnesty office was working for the peace that helped to generate the oil that powers the economy.