Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the Senate Majority leader of the 7th Senate, was appointed the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), between 2016 and 2018, a period where some level of reforms was initiated in the Commission.
In an interview at his Abuja Law Office, the former Chairman shared his experiences and articulated strategies the current board can adopt to bring development to the Niger Delta region, emphasising that given the efforts of the current Board, they should be allowed to attend least complete it’s term of not re-appointed. Excerpts:
As a former Chairman of the NDDC, what were your challenges, and what did you encounter during your tenure? What advice can you give to the present board to overcome these challenges?
The major challenge we faced was resistance to change. We were trying to complete the headquarters building where the headquarters office is located today because, at that time, we were operating from Dapa Biriye House along Aba Road in Port Harcourt. If you visited the NDDC, it felt like a marketplace. I don’t know how it is now.
Having observed the usually large crowd in the commission’s premises, upon investigation, I discovered that most of the people around the NDDC were contractors who had executed small contracts worth about 10 million, 20 million, or 30 million naira but had not been paid.
The challenge was clearing these outstanding payments, removing the and decongesting the premises. However, there was a lot of resistance, especially regarding the 52 or 62 steps required for payments and the need to improve efficiency.
I have always said that nobody wakes up in the morning determined to be corrupt. People don’t leave their homes with the intention of being corrupt. Corruption is often a consequence of inefficiency. When a system is inefficient, individuals may find opportunities to exploit loopholes for personal gain. Therefore, addressing systemic inefficiencies was critical.
To tackle this, we engaged external consultants to help us streamline operations. We conducted several financial, personnel, and procedural audits but faced significant resistance. The NDDC was also heavily overstaffed at that time, particularly in administrative roles.
Before my appointment, a late friend who had worked in the NDDC gave me a document detailing staff distribution and deployment. Nearly 50 technical staff were assigned to projects such as a 1 km road construction. This created inefficiency, as people would get in each other’s way rather than effectively executing the project. As a result, it was necessary to streamline staffing and ensure proper deployment.
You mentioned the downside of instability caused by boards not being allowed to complete their tenure. Within nine years, the NDDC had nine Managing Directors. What are your thoughts on the provision that grants the board a four-year tenure, renewable for another four years?
It is all politics. The law is very clear, and I think it is in Section 3, which states that if you’re appointed for four years, it is renewable for another four years. I believe the law’s drafters appreciated the need for stability and continuity. They understood that projects, programs, and plans would be negatively affected without stability and continuity.
Unfortunately, there has been more politics in NDDC boards than even within political parties. At the slightest disagreement between two political heavyweights, the NDDC becomes the victim, which is the consequence. So, I agree with the provision—it is pragmatic, realistic, reasonable, and the best approach for a commission like the NDDC to have tenured leadership.
Let me take this opportunity to appeal to the government. Perhaps, for once, we should see a board complete its tenure. Just once, let us witness that.
I have only met the MD once. I attended a stakeholders’ meeting but had to leave early due to another engagement. He personally walked with me out and provided a vehicle for me. That was my only meeting with him. The chairman, of course, is a colleague, and I have had a conversation with him. I believe the Board has very clear ideas about what they want to achieve for the region.
Let me give a simple example: There were plans for regional hospitals, one in Ikot-Abasi, Ikom, and another in Port Harcourt. These hospitals were initiated before I became chairman; luckily, one was cited in my community. During my tenure, we pushed to complete those regional hospitals because some were intended to be specialised cancer centres. However, they have been abandoned for as long as I can remember.
A major road in my community also played a significant role in my career. As a young Commissioner for Works in Cross River State, I developed policies to build roads leading to agricultural communities, including areas with vast cocoa plantations. For 40 years, people relied on that road, but it has since collapsed due to increased tonnage and traffic.
When Timi Alaibe was MD, I pleaded with him to rehabilitate the road, and the NDDC awarded the project. However, the contractor showed up with only two or three shovels, collected his money and disappeared. When I became chairman, I insisted he be sent to the EFCC. I don’t know what happened afterwards, but I recently saw the current Minister of State for Trade, who comes from that area, visiting the site with the NDDC team, which suggests that work is resuming.
I am aware that the NDDC team was in Ikom recently to inspect the hospital, which means the hospital project is restarting. I have also heard that they have been to my village to re-evaluate the water scheme, meaning a lot is happening. For that reason—if for nothing else, even for selfish reasons—I would like this management and board to continue so they can complete the hospital in my hometown and the water project.
I want to appeal to the Presidency and the Government of the Federation. Please, they should allow the current NDDC Board to complete their tenure. Once they finish their tenure, the government can replace them. Let them stay and do what is necessary. From where I stand, I can see significant progress.
And you know, life isn’t just about projects—it’s also about human relationships. When you realize that even a senator knows you, your attitude towards them will change.
How can the current leaders in NDDC learn from your experience?
During my time, I told the Managing Director we should have an opportunity to bring all former Chairmen and Managing Directors together. We should traditionally reach out to them because whatever position you hold today, you will not hold it forever.
I was the Chairman, and my next bus stop was “former.” I was a Managing Director, and my next bus stop was “former.” So, until we create a culture of integrating everybody, we will continue to face challenges. That is why we say that although the current Board and Management have done very well, there is still room for improvement.
First, the system must be efficient. Are you able to fully utilise every Kobo you receive? Due to system inefficiencies, we face many issues, which is why other supposed contributors to the funding are also reluctant to make contributions.
Sir, you mentioned the Master Plan being key to the NDDC. The master plan we had 18 years ago has expired, and the commission is putting together a new regional master plan. What are your suggestions or advice for implementing this Master Plan?
The document I have here is the NDDC Act. If you summarize all the functions and powers, I think 12 or 13 key points can be integrated into the master plan. You must be very clear about responsibilities that fall within local government policy and those that belong to the state to avoid competition or conflict with either state or local government.
That means many NDDC projects should fall under the local government’s responsibility. For example, building classrooms is the local government’s responsibility; NDDC should focus on projects and programs integrating the region, such as a regional power grid, regional airlines, etc.
Given the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta caused by oil exploration and gas activities, do you think the resources available to the NDDC are adequate?
They are not adequate. I met with President Buhari and even presented a paper during my tenure. I had a document from the Auditor General’s office showing the financial shortfall over time. I wrote to the president, drawing his attention to this shortfall. I don’t know what has happened since then, but you cannot manage an office like this without raising concerns.
There is always room for investigation, but unfortunately, the NDDC Act has already spelt out the funding percentage. This does not allow for flexibility. Before the commission even gets what is due, it often has to struggle to properly compile funds based on that percentage, which is still insufficient. So, the question of funding is not only inadequate but also not well explained.
Regarding the recently established Regional Development Commissions, how do you see the setting up of this commission?Doesn’t it whittle down the effect of the NDDC?
No way. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have commented because you are talking about programs of the Federal Government of Nigeria that are outside the NDDC, so it is not my business. I am not sitting here to comment on the federal government’s policies, but since you have linked it with the NDDC, maybe you have a different impression in mind.
You are wondering whether the South-South Development Commission will whittle down the NDDC. Is that not what you are saying? Has the South-South Development Commission been signed into law? Even if it has, the NDDC is an independent body established for the Niger Delta region, not for any of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
If the federal government sees the wisdom in setting up six regional commissions, then so be it. The Niger Delta region is a special area within Nigeria, and even if ten commissions were created to develop that region, so be it. This does not diminish the relevance of the NDDC in any way.
The NDDC is an independent economic body set up specifically for the Niger Delta region—not just for the South-South region, the Southeast, or the Southwest. For the record, the NDDC includes states from the South-South, Southeast, and Southwest due to their involvement in oil production. The language might change, but the mandates remain distinct.
So, to answer your question, no number of new commissions will not diminish the relevance of the NDDC. In fact, they will complement and partner with the NDDC for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta.
You have been the former leader of the Senate with enough experience, and one of the problems encountered with the entire governance structure of the NDDC is the budgeting issue. Budgets are drawn but tied down at the Ministry of Finance and never released?
Let me start with the first issue about the budget. The budget has two components in the coming year, revenue and expenditure. Revenue is an expectation that you will get naira, if you don’t meet the revenue side, there are consequences on the expenditure side. Secondly, the government has found a way to make the budget more efficient. In the past, when we were young, we used to hear about development plans. Every budget was integral to the development plan to achieve A, B, C, or D. However, we moved away from development plans to other philosophies of government. When I was in the Senate, we started hearing about the envelope system, something I never understood.
I come from a part of the country where, even during the dry season, you have at least one rain every month, and during the rainy season, it can rain non-stop. Imagine you have a project at the roofing stage requiring 40 million naira to complete. Then the budget office tells you that you have an envelope of 60 million, but that 60 million only covers a small portion of the roofing. What will happen to the house, have you achieved anything. So, I think we should first clear our books. Many of our projects are dead; you either close or reassess them. I want to mention something about the NDDC because I asked yesterday how they could restart key projects I am particularly interested in. I was told they had to terminate the former contracts, re-evaluate them, and re-award them. That is a very reasonable strategy. Regarding the budgeting issue, if you don’t realize your income, then forget the expenditure.
How do you think we should involve the oil companies and other stakeholders in the affairs of the NDDC?
They are already part of the NDDC. If you look at the law establishing the NDDC, oil companies are obliged to make a specific contribution, which is mandatory. But the question is, are they contributing? If they are not, then why? Before you came in, this matter was raised from another angle. When dealing with these multinationals, I said their governance standards are very high. Everything is strictly monitored. If they say you work for eight hours, you have to clock in when you arrive and out when you leave. They ensure that those are the exact hours you are working. It is the same thing with money—if they realize that the funds they contribute are not being well spent, they will pull back. NDDC must convince them that the system has become more efficient and that their contributions will not be wasted.
As the past chairman of the NDDC board, do you have any regrets about what you could have accomplished during your tenure?
One culture that I like is the culture of the Italian tyrants. You know, those are the rascals there. Their cars do not have driving mirrors, and you know why, they don’t want to look behind, they want to concentrate. I had my opportunities, and yes, I would have been glad to achieve many things I wanted, but if I had stayed there, how would the present people have their opportunities. So life is a stage, you come and you might have two minutes to perform and you move on to the next person to come. I have moved on, since I left NDDC I have been other things I have been able to set up this office, I have been a Chancellor of a University, I was the secretary of the APC 2018 national convention, so the important thing is to move forward and doesn’t rely on the past because if you are stuck in history, then you have no future.
