NDDC cautions monarchs and young people in Cross River against destroying development initiatives

The Niger Delta Development Commission has issued a stern warning to traditional rulers, youths, and community leaders in Cross River State, urging them to desist from vandalising development projects executed by the commission, as failure to do so may result in denied future interventions.

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Daniel Ajuwa, the Cross River State Director of the commission, delivered this warning on Friday during a sensitisation programme organised by the NDDC in Calabar, which aimed to promote community ownership and protection of intervention projects.

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Ajuwa emphasised the importance of the awareness campaign, which seeks to educate communities, civil society organisations, government agencies, and youth groups on the need to safeguard projects executed by the commission across the Niger Delta.

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He noted that the commission has invested significant resources in providing solar-powered street lights and other critical infrastructure across communities in the state, only to be met with vandalism by some youths for personal gains, a development he described as disheartening.

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Ajuwa expressed disappointment that some individuals had been caught on camera stealing solar light components installed by the commission, highlighting the challenges faced by the NDDC in its efforts to improve the lives of Niger Delta residents.

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The solar lighting project, approved by the Managing Director of the commission, was designed to address insecurity and improve night-time visibility in communities, but Ajuwa warned that communities allowing vandalism of NDDC facilities would not benefit from future projects.

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He reiterated that communities must take ownership of these projects, as they are meant for their benefit, and warned that any community that allows vandalism of NDDC projects would not receive any further interventions from the commission.

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Ajuwa disclosed that over 100 stakeholders, including representatives of security agencies, traditional institutions, government officials, and community leaders, participated in the sensitisation programme, which was designed to build the capacity of communities to protect and sustain development projects.

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Dr. Carol-Bichene Ebuta, a facilitator at the programme, noted that although the NDDC had executed several intervention projects across the Niger Delta over the years, many of them had been vandalised, abandoned, or poorly maintained, with available statistics indicating that about 50 per cent of NDDC projects in the region are no longer functioning as originally implemented.

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Ebuta urged residents to change their perception of government projects and begin to see them as community assets that must be protected, highlighting the negative impact of vandalism on community development.

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He called on communities to organise local vigilance groups and mobilise youths to safeguard the facilities, and also to maintain the environment around such projects to ensure they remain functional and beneficial to the people.