IT is not in doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari is a man with a clear vision of how best to administer a country like Nigeria. Not given to razzmatazz or needless bigotry, the President knows perfectly how to solve a seeming intractable problem without a fuss.

Like the legendary British Lord Acton once said: “There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities.”

Anybody who is adept in public administration will not dispute the fact that the 21st century model of sustainable development is what is called the PPP model. PPP simply means Platform, People, Process and it is a development model that evolved in the mid-70s when some Asian countries wanted a quantum leap transition from being under-developed to developing economies.

In response to the agitation for the development of the Niger Delta area, the Nigerian government created the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as a platform for a rapid development of the oil-rich South-South zone of the country.

The mandate of the NDDC was to facilitate a process whereby basic social infrastructure will be established in the Niger Delta and also to promote the manpower development of the region.

But if government had done the right thing creating the NDDC as a platform for the rapid development of the Niger Delta, it cannot be said with a measure of confidence that the Commission has had the privilege of being managed by people who could effectively deliver on its mandate.

It is no coincidence therefore that the NDDC which was supposed to be a platform for rapid transformation of the area has over the years become a conduit pipe of corrupt money for the elite of the zone.

Just last week, foreign students from the Niger Delta who are on scholarship of the NDDC complained of abandonment. That is the sorry situation the NDDC has found itself.

But there appears a refreshing hope at the horizon with the appointment of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba as the new chairman of the Commission.

It goes without doubt that Ndoma-Egba is a round peg in a round hole for the NDDC top job. His last public assignment as the Leader of the Senate would have exposed him to the several critical challenges of the Niger-Delta and put him in a vantage position to have a full appreciation of the challenges associated with his appointment.

Even beyond that, Ndoma-Egba has an early exposure to public service. It is a well know fact that at age 27, he became the Commissioner for Works and Transport in the old Cross River State which comprised Akwa Ibom State and the current Cross-River State. But what really better prepares Ndoma-Egba for the job as the NDDC boss is that perhaps unlike many of his peers, he established and nourishes his top-notch law office at his homestead in Cross-River State.

Truth is that the NDDC is a grassroots government establishment, and the person better prepared to steer the affairs of the Commission in order for it to achieve its topmost objective needs to be someone who is well acquainted with the environment and the immediate pressing needs of the people of the Niger Delta area.

Beyond his capacity to effectively drive the much-needed development of the Niger Delta,  Ndoma-Egba also has the kind of personality and pedigree that can help rebrand the Commission.

Unlike his detractors, Ndoma-Egba is a steady and reliable character. He also has a squeaky clean record of public service – not tainted by any allegation of misconduct. It is for this reason that President Buhari readily gave the nod for his appointment.

By his nomination of Ndoma-Egba as the chairman of the board of the NDDC, President Buhari has clearly unveiled his mission in the development of the Niger Delta area. The problem of the Niger Delta has subsisted, assuming an international dimension because previous governments failed to address it squarely. In the event, what was an ordinary problem later gave  birth to myriad of problems top of which is youth restiveness with attendant insecurity in the region.

Consequently, major investors began to move out of the area. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of credible voices to intercede for the restive youths of the region.

The situation in the NigerDelta as of today remains uncertain and requires an expert in social engineering, someone who not only can build bridges across the landscape of the Niger Delta, but can also build bridges of peace in the minds of the restive youths of the region.

The belief is that Ndoma Egba’s crisis-free and scandal-free  tenure as  the Leader of the Senate puts him in good stead to succeed in this regard. Also during his widely reported face-off with his state  governor, he  ensured that ordinary Cross Riverians were not exposed to the heat of the conflict.

So, in his new role as the chairman of the NDDC, he needs the support and cooperation of leaders and youths of the region to restore the Commission to its original mandate.

*Babajide Balogun, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Lagos.