Hundreds of protesters stormed the Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, venue of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), protesting alleged abandonment of their skills training centre by the Commission.
The protesters, who were said to be trainers and trainees of a 3-month skills acquisition programme organised by a religious organisation, Victorious Prayer Network, accused the NDDC of not fulfilling its promises of sponsoring the training and providing a starter pack to the over 2,000 beneficiaries.
They also accused the commission of neglecting them as their centre was not mentioned or highlighted among programmes of the NDDC during their 25th anniversary celebration.
The protesters who sang songs also displayed several placards with inscriptions such as ” NDDC fails to graduate Niger Delta skills acquisition 2nd edition, your action speaks volume, please respond to our demand, Dr Samuel Ogbuku,’ ‘NDDC please release funds for our starter packs, we are done with the training’. among others, to drive home their demands.
The protest was said to have disrupted the anniversary celebration of the Commission, as it took dignitaries some time to enter the venue, until security agencies intervened.
Prophetess Mrs. Victoria Agori, Leader of the protesters and founder of the Victorious Prayer Network, organisers of the skills acquisition scheme, during the protest, said the training programme held in two phases, with the first in Bayelsa State and the second in Rivers State.
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Prophetess Agori said the beneficiaries, comprising youths, teenagers, men and women, were trained in different skills such as; catering, tailoring, barbing, Information Communication Technology (ICT), hairdressing, electricals, video and photography, beed and gele making, shoe and soap/detergent making, and cosmetic production.
Agori, who is also the Founder of United Izon Tare-Ogbo International, claimed that she and her partners have spent millions of naira and also borrowed to run the centre, empowering the students with different skills, but regretted that they have been abandoned by the NDDC, leading to delay in graduation of the trainees, which was due for March, 2025.
She particularly noted that NDDC’s Director of Skills Development, Barr. Lyna Okara, represented by the Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Development, Mr. Anderson Ukeh, in March, 2025 during a visit to the skills acquisition centre with a team from the NDDC, to inspect the progress of the training, commended them for doing a great job, and expressed satisfaction with what they saw.
She said, the NDDC speaking through Okara’s representative, Mr. Anderson Ukeh, after the inspection, assured them that the commission, under the leadership of Chiedu Ebie as Board Chairman, and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director, were committed to human capacity development, empowerment of the youths, and would not fail in their commitment.
“We made a proposal to the NDDC for skill acquisition, which was approved. They promised us financial support to run the programme and also provide the beneficiaries with a starter pack during their graduation. But we are yet to hear from them, 3 months after the programme.
We trained 2000 people in different skills. 1000 in Rivers State and 1000 in Bayelsa State. The training has since March, and the students are yet to graduate till now, because NDDC has not fulfilled their promise.”
Agori pleaded with the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, to prevail on some Staff of the Commission who she alleged were frustrating their efforts.
Some of the protesting students urged the NDDC MD to facilitate the provision of their starter pack as promised by the organisers of the scheme to enable them to graduate and develop themselves.
One of them, identified as Favour, said: “After the training three months ago, we have been waiting for our graduation and starter’s pack. I was trained in tailoring. I have the skill now, and I want the equipment so that I can use it to develop myself and take care of my family.
Addressing the protesters, a representative from the NDDC appealed to the protesters to visit the Commission’s headquarters and for proper handling of the situation, stressing that the demonstration was ill-timed as the day was set aside for celebration and not for protest.
