By- Alambo Datonye
The need for communities to take ownership of projects executed by development agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and government has again come to the fore.
This formed the thrust of a one-day capacity building engagement on community ownership and protection of NDDC projects for Niger Delta Stakeholders held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Over the years, many communities in the Niger Delta have felt alienated from projects sited in their domain and often perceive some of these multi billion Naira interventions as external impositions rather than community assets.
To reverse this, the corporate affairs directorate of the NDDC assembled community leaders and other key actors across communities in the region for the capacity building programme on ownership and protection of such projects.
Director of the Bayelsa State office of the NDDC , Engineer Godknows Alamieyeseigha represented by the Project Manager, Project Monitoring Department, Engineer Victor Oputa said the programme was put in place to sensitize communities to safeguard critical infrastructure and projects in their localities.
The Director, Peace and Development Project and lead consultant, Mr. Francis Abayomi said the purpose was to provide a platform for stakeholders and communities to brainstorm on how best to protect projects.
The resource person at the event, Mr. Sunny Okereke who harped on a bottom up approach to projects from conception to execution, emphasized that it was important for communities, interventionist agencies and government to partner and ensure sustainability of infrastructure.
Some of the participants pledged to take the message to their communities to protect projects in their areas.
The programme which had Chairmen of Community Development Committees, Youth and women leaders and the Principal Manager, Community and Rural Development, Mr. Moses Ebiegberi Alagoa in attendance focused on community engagement models for safeguarding NDDC’s projects across the Niger Delta.
