The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been ordered by a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt to always seek the consent of the Rivers State Government before executing projects in the state.
Justice Adolphus Enebeli in his Judgment Wednesday granted a declaration sought by the government that under Rivers State Physical Planning Law, State Land Law and Urban Development Law that the NDDC or its agent has no power to claim any land or execute any project in any part of Rivers State without the consent of the Government.
Governor Nyesom Wike through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the State had in 2017 dragged NDDC, its former Managing Director, Nsema Ekere and former Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Derick Meene to court for carrying out activities in the state without the consent of the government.
Enebeli with reference to 60 planned projects by NDDC which resulted in the suit, held that the projects if allowed to be executed, would affect urban development and Land Act of the State.
The Judge also held that the NDDC should seek the consent of the state government for the execution of the projects.
Justice Enebeli, however, refused to grant the declaration sought by the claimants to void sections seven and eight of the NDDC Act which borders on the developmental map of the nine states of the Niger Delta region.
