By Ben Agande

Abuja—President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday,  directed that no new project should be embarked upon by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, until all ongoing  projects were completed.

He gave the directive while inaugurating the new Board and management of the commission.
According to the  President, the general  perception of many Nigerians is that the  NDDC is a non-performing intervention agency of government.

He urged the new board and management to work hard to  justify the purpose for which the commission was established.
The President specifically charged the Board  Chairman, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw,  to use his influence as a former senator to attract  adequate budgetary allocations for the commission.

To the new management, the President said: “I just have to admonish you very clearly that there are so many issues about the NDDC.  The Niger Delta people feel that the NDDC is not really doing what they are supposed to do over the period.
“There are so many ongoing projects. A body like NDDC should not just go into a voyage of contracts procurement but ongoing projects must be completed for people to benefit before new ones are awarded.

“There are just too many ongoing projects and we believe that you don’t even have enough manpower to manage the ongoing projects.”