The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC says more rural communities in Nigeria’s poorly developed oil belt are to benefit from the installation of solar lights.
Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr Sam Ogbuku, who stated this in an interview with Newsmen in Port Harcourt noted that the commission has already commenced the project in several state capitals and some towns across the region stressing that there is a strong need to expand the scheme to include remaining towns and villages in the nine NDDC states in the country.
The Niger Delta Development Commission States include Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, , Cross River, Imo, Abia , Edo and Ondo states.
” Yes, we plan to include all the state capitals, the LGA headquarters, the towns and all villages under the commission in our new scheme to light up the rural areas in our states in the country”, Ogbuku remarked
The NDDC Boss however, did not give the time frame for the completion of the solar light project or details of how much it would cost the commission. He assured that the NDDC has what it takes to install and maintain the solar system in the various towns and villages under its control.
The Niger Delta region, he acknowledged is rich in oil, gas and several other mineral resources. Nonetheless, he noted that the people live in difficult terrain that needs to be tamed.
Chief Ogbuku observed that the only way the commission could appreciate, assist and encourage the people of the Niger Delta is to bring development as well as infrastructure nearer to them.
He explained that the commission would do everything within its mandate to deliver infrastructure, saying the communities would take the responsibility of protecting such projects sited in their midst.
“We have what it takes to install and maintain the solar system and other projects in our states but we don’t have what it takes to protect or safeguard them in the various communities where we site them, because that was not in our budget”, he stressed.
” We expect them to form vigilante groups and Community Development Committees (CDC) to ensure that such projects sited in their communities get protected from vandals and distruction “, he further added
Our correspondent reports that the NDDC Managing Director, Chief Ogbuku and his team are being celebrated across the oil -rich region for the vision to provide basic infrastructure, including the decision to install solar light in rural communities in the Niger Delta region.
