The conferment of an Honorary doctorate degree on the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nsima Ekere, by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, recently has been said to be honour done a man whose focused leadership at the NDDC has seen the clumsy narrative of development in the region changed for the better.
Benard Ekpotu, Project Director of PROJECT ONE for Good Governance, a socio-political group, made the statement at the Imo international Trade and Investment Centre, Owerri, venue of a reception held for Ekere, after the award, while speaking with reporters.
Ekpotu, who congratulated Ekere on the award, said FUTO and other higher institutions across the region, are among those whose stories have been changed by Ekere’s accomplishment in the educational sector as Managing Director of the NDDC.
‘’I want to congratulate a man whose craving, always, is to scale great heights. At the NDDC, he has scaled the heights of low funding, abandoned projects, non performing budgets and a business-as-usual approach to work,to achieve so much in a short while. As a good manager that he is, his stay at the commission has seen him reposition the Commission in way that the Commission is now seriously involved in its original mandate which is to intervene in the development of the region.”
Ekpotu further said his organization which featured prominently at the function, was set up to promote good governance , saying “Ekere is a great signpost in this regard”
Ekpotu, who thanked the President for his intervention in the area of improved funding for the commission by directing that funds of the commission not released to it should be released, however, urged all agencies involved in solving the problem to expedite action on the Presidential directive, so that Ekere will have more resources to continue doing well at the commission.
“I am pleased that the President has directed that funds of the NDDC tied down in Abuja be released to it.It is my prayer and that of all Niger Deltans that this is done, especially now that we have a focused development expert in office, so that he will have enough resources to continue to do well in development interventions in the region. I, therefore, call upon all agencies of government connected with the Presidential directive to expedite action on it, for the good of the people of the region”
