By Chukwudi Nweje
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced the conduct of interviews for foreign postgraduate scholarship programme, following the computer-based test written by 3,000 applicants last month.
Speaking at the venue of the interview in Port Harcourt, NDDC Acting Managing Director, Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, assured that the interview process would be fair and transparent.
“We want to create a solid foundation for our children. We want to send out our best. Since 2010, we have trained students in foreign universities. We want to emphasise professionalism and merit and the applicants must come from the Niger Delta area. We are sending the scholars out to represent our country. They are going to be our worthy ambassadors. The interview panel were randomly selected to ensure fairness. I have seen positive comments from participants and I am happy about that.”
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said it was time people began to hear the good stories about the commission.
“It is not only the negative stories that should be coming out of NDDC. This is one of the good stories about the NDDC that we want the world to know. The 200 scholars to be selected will be our ambassadors. I am impressed with what we are doing and it is getting positive comments from the participants.”
The NDDC boss said education was a critical factor in pulling people out of poverty. He said the people of the Niger Delta have been marginalised in the past and that education is the key the commission was giving to them to excel.
Meanwhile, an interest group from Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Ilaje National Alliance Movement (INAMO), has raised the alarm over alleged conspiracy by some politicians and businessmen to frustrate the Senate’s confirmation of Mr. Charles Ogunmola as Executive Director, Projects of the Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Mr. Gbenga Edema, a commissioner nominee of Ondo State on the Board of NDDC.
The statement by Alex Omotehinse and Oluwatobi Fagbemi, Chairman and Secretary respectively of INAMO, yesterday, said the petitions against Ogunmola, the first indigene of Ipele, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State to be appointed executive director in the 22 years history of NDDC, and against Edema saying he was not from an oil host community, were frivolous.
“We the undersigned, belonging to the above-named organisation, representing the progressive and patriotic sons and daughters of Ilaje Nation worldwide, write to intimate the Nigerian Senate and all men and women of good conscience within and outside the shores of Nigeria of the surreptitious moves by some disgruntled elements sponsored by opposition parties, monopolistic businessmen and enemies of progress to deny Ondo State the nomination of Mr Charles Ogunmola for the position of Executive Director (Projects) on the Board of Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC). These characters have already flooded the Presidency and Senate with a trailer-load of petitions to scuttle the confirmation of Mr Ogunmola…
“We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating this worthy son of Ondo State in accordance with the NDDC Act…The NDDC Act was enacted to serve as an interventionist agency for Niger/Delta States and not the towns and villages where oil is explored. We, however, by this medium, want to inform the senate that it should not allow itself to be blackmailed into rejecting the nomination of Mr Charles Ogunmola on the false and bogus premise that he is not from an oil-producing community in the state…Out of hatred for where Ogunmola hails from in Ondo State, we are now being told that these opposition figures flooding Abuja with petitions against Ogunmola have already concluded that other states can take the position of ED Project if an Ilaje indigene won’t be given the position.
“We reaffirm that there is no way the nomination of Ogunmola will short-change the people of the oil communities or Ilaje Local Government where oil is domiciled in Ondo State because one of them, Gbenga Edema, is already being nominated as a commissioner to represent them on the board of the commission.”