NDDC MD ASSURES WOMEN OF NIGER DELTA REGION OF CAPACITY BUILDING AND EMPOWERMENT
DR OGBUKU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WITH THE WOMEN
BY GABRIEL OKECHUKWU, FRCN PORT HARCOURT
Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku has re-emphasized the commitment of the commission towards training, capacity building and empowerment of women of Niger Delta region.
Dr. Ogbuku who made the commitment during Interactive cum solidarity visit by women leaders of Apex bodies of Ethnic Nationalities, Community and Faith based organizations as well as Civil Society Groups, at NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt Rivers State, acknowledged that empowering women would reduce poverty and enhance peace and development in the rural communities.
Having been meeting with different interests groups in the region, such as the youths, traditional rulers and International Oil companies, the meeting with the leadership of different women groups in the region afforded the managing Director the opportunity to take cognisance of the peculiarities of the needs of the female folks.
Speaking to the women, the Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku who admitted the importance of women empowerment in the eradication of poverty in the hinterlands, informed them that they were paramount in the programmes of the commission.
The Managing Director who noted with regret the inability of the region to access opportunities from International agencies, told the delegation that management has started discussions with international organizations to train women of Niger Delta region in various skills and business endeavors.
According to the managing Director, there would be a Niger Delta stakeholders summit as soon as the budget of the commission was out where all concerned would take a definite stand on the way forward.
The Chief Executive Officer of the interventionist agency encouraged the women to be ambassadors of the commission as it strives to collaborate with several development partners to facilitate social, infrastructural and economic development of the oil rich region.
Similarly, the Executive Director Finance and Administration, EDFA, Retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere who stressed on the contributions of women in progress and development of any community, assured them that management would work with the group.
Earlier in her address, the leader of the delegation, Lady Annkio Briggs expressed displeasure that despite the efforts of women in the creation of NDDC, they have been neglected in appointments and other benefits.
While calling on the President to constitute a new board, she requested that the present Executive Directors led by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku be retained as part of the new board.
Lady Briggs who was not happy with many abandoned projects in the region asked the present management to correct the anomaly.
Leaders of over ten different women groups of Niger Delta extraction form part of the delegation
