NDDC: PROVIDING LAND FOR THE LANDLESS

NDDC: PROVIDING LAND FOR THE LANDLESS


Water! Water! everywhere not a place to build a house. This would have made a good nursery rhyme for primary school children in Ogu. Asked any native of Ogu what is the greatest challenge facing the riverine community and he would be wont to declare land. These people have fought many wars and battles over land. Land disputes between the people of Ogu in Ogu Bolu Local Government area of Rivers state and the Eleme neighbours and other Ogoni communities dated back to decades. The Ogu people live by the bank of the River and as they increase in population as well as the prosper and need land to build more houses; anytime they make moves to go nearer their neighours there always contention over ownership of a certain parcel of land or the other.

By recently, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, took its interventionist mandate to Ogu. The presence of NDDC in Ogu is not to mediate in the land disputes between Ogu and its neigbours but to find a permanent solution to the land need of the people. Can their land need be ever made? The commission decided to embark on a 50 acres land reclamation project besides the shore protection project that is already going on in the community.

The Ogu community was in a carnival mood when the NDDC led by its Managing Director, Mr. Timi Alaibe visited the town gaily dressed women with traditional dances lined the entrance into the town to welcome their “savouir”. An elated Amanyangbo of Ogu, His royal Majesty, Nicholas Dickson Ibiebele, Nimenhibo at his palace told Alaibe that similar project was last executed in the community 29 years ago during the administration of Chief Melford Okilo in the days of the Old Rivers state. The royal father said the community appreciate NDDC is doing. The projects, The royal father declared, means a lot to the people: and an outsider may never appreciate them. According to Nimenhibo, NDDC came to the rescue of the community after the people have given up hope on the shore protection project as well as another land reclamation work in their town and asked the commission to extend the shore protection to the Atlantic Ocean which borders Ogu. The Amayangbo who pledged that the community will work with the contractor appealed to NDDC to repair the road linking the community with the East West Road through Eleme. He also asked the NDDC management to liaise with the community so that the people can let the commission know what their difficulties are.

At a civic reception held for Alaibe and his team, Chief D. E. Atamuno, chairman of Ogu Community Development Committee [CDC] in an address of welcome said “Today appears a special day in the lives of Ogu people and it pleases the CDC.” Atamuno said the shore protection project going on is the desire of Ogu; and thanked NDDC “for approving and starting such a gigantic project for the development and protection of the shores of Ogu.” Like Oliver Twist Atamuno asked “May we please request you to include reclamation of the expanse of land [mangrove] overlooking the shores that separated by the creek surrounding the town. This we feel, will decongest Ogu. We have continued to live on top of each other suffocating due to lack of land.”

President of Ogu Youth Congress, Mr. Nathaniel Iringeri noted that with the advent of the two projects, “Ogu people have come to realize a sense of belonging in the scheme of things of the Commission.” The youth leader demanded for an extension of the scope of the project to cover the entire island and reclamation of the mangrove across the jetty [Owukiri Ibu] which will be of a great help and solution to land matters that may arise in the future. Iringeri praise the contractor [ROUDO Nigeria Limited] for has cooperated with the youths as well as provide employment for indigines. He commended the contractor for a job well done and charged ROUDO to handles subsequent jobs.

George Sekibo, an indigene of Ogu and a Senator representing Rivers South East said the people are grateful for these projets as their problem in the community is land. “We appreciate the effort of NDDC in my community and entire Niger Delta,” declared Sekibo. He lamented that anytime Ogu people want to build near their boundary there is always fighting and clashes. Sekibo said sandfilling and land reclamation will create land for the community. NDDC, Sekibo said, is giving the community several acres of land and this will put an end to land disputes. The senator disclosed that several contracts have been awarded but implementation and payment of contract sum have been the problem. Sekibo pointed out that if the project was not executed in the next 16 to 20 years, some houses in the community would be washed away. According to Sekibo, if the shore is protected the houses are protected. He joined the chorus of the youth leader and CDC chairman that Ogu needs ore sandfilling across the creek to meet the community housing need in the next 10 years. “We now have enough land. Many of our youths in the community are engage, even though temporary,” Sekibo averred.

On the NDDC allocation that President Yardua said has expired, Sekibo retorted there is nothing like expired NDDC fund rather the truth is that the federal government is owing NDDC. Sekibo described NDDC allocation as a frontline charge and not a ministerial allocation. According to him, allocations to ministries can elapsed but not NDDC fund because the commission cannot send back money to the federal government at the end of the year if such money are not used. He also insisted that federal government have no power to withhold NDDC fund under the guise that it has expired.

In his remarks, Alaibe explained that the reclamation was designed to make more land available to the people for building while the shore protection would save the community from ocean encroachment. He insisted that there was need to reclaim and protect shores because sea erosion has ravaged most of the shoreline in the Niger Delta. Alaibe said the ogu projects were some of the landmark projects embarked upon by the commission to support sustainable development in Ogu. The NDDC boss said he was happy with the development in Ogu and pointed out that indigenes do not need to go and live in the state capital, Port Harocurt.

Alaibe continued that he was in Ogu to inspect the project and was impressed by the traditional reception given him, which made him to feel at home. The action of the Chiefs, Alaibe observed, will go down history as well as send a message that Niger delta people are traditionally hospitable. He declared that no level of development can change Niger delta hospitality, and added that people from the region are not known to be at war with people who came to visit them. According to Alaibe, it is the desire to ensure peace in Oguland that the projects were awarded and assured that they would not be abandoned as they are tied to the commission’s budget. He expressed hope that when the projects are completed, Ogu people would have no cause to fight their neigbhours over land. On the people demands for the extension of the shoreline protection and to extend the land reclaimation across the creek beyond the current 50 acres, Alaibe said “ If we have the resources we would have extend the project. NDDC is prepared to do more things.” He said the commissioin would consider extension.

Alaibe also explained that he decided to embark on the spot assessment of project because it is not enough to approved a project, award contract and stay behind in the office. He continued that there was need to see whether the project meets the beneficiary expectations and how to fine tune and improve upon what is on ground.

At the civic reception, Alaibe observed that Ogu has structures to cater for all citizens; and this is a testimony that there is peace in the land. He pointed out that appreciation and the word “thank you’ are disappearing from the society but it is still existing in Oguland. The NDDC boss said the projects were in sync with the Niger Delta Regional Master plan and federal government plan to develop the Niger Delta. He charged the people to live in peace observed the rule of law for more development to come to their community; promised to work on the road that links the community with East West Road. He also announced a donation of three buses to youths and two to women but advised them to form cooperative society in other to get theses vehicles.

Chairman and Chief Executive officer of the company handling the project, Roudo, Chief Tony Chukwu praised the community for their cooperation and show of solidarity. Chukwu who promised to complete the job at schedule disclosed that the land reclamation project would make 50 acres of land available to the people when completed. The chief executive, who was speaking through one of his staff, Engr. Dele Eges said the company intends to complete and deliver the projects by December 2008. He disclosed that the company started work on the project in august 2007 and about 70 youths from Ogu are currently working with the company on the projects. Eges explained that the shore protection is 2.5 kilometres with two aprons.