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Nigeria’s First lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu Thursday inaugurated some projects executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Bayelsa State.
The projects include the remodeled Cottage hospital, Otuasega and the reconstructed Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Otuasega in the Ogbia Local Government Area of State.
National Wire reports that Mrs Tinubu also unveiled 11 ambulances procured by the the Commission for distribution to select public health facilities in the Niger Delta region as well as flagged-off the 2025 free medical outreach of the Commission at the Otuasega Cottage hospital.
Mrs Tinubu commended the synergy between the state and NDDC, saying it is encouraging the development of the state and region, just as she hailed the NDDC for also collaborating with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The President’s wife said the partnership will significantly improve the lives of the people of the region, noting that the NDDC/Renewed Hope Initiative, which began in 2024, was aimed at providing support in critical areas of development by empowering communities and improving the quality of life in the Niger Delta region.
She said: “I’m really honoured to be here. I like to express my profound gratitude to Governor Diri and his wife for the warm reception accorded me and my team. I also like to commend the NDDC Managing Director and the board for their commitment to the development of the region”.
In his remarks, the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, commended the NDDC, saying the Commission has achieved milestones in project execution and delivery in the Niger Delta region, expressing confidence that more can be achieved.
He clarified that the president was happy about the performance of the commission, noting that the current management and board of the commission has a four year mandate.
The Minister said: “The President hasn’t heard any bad news about this commission. The current management and board of the NDDC has a four year term, and it’s only when they’re not performing that they can be removed. Recently some persons wanted to question the validity of office of the current management board of the NDDC, and so we quickly came out to clarify them. I think this management is doing well and you’ve the next three years to complete your tenure of appointment in office.
“We’re here today to to formally welcome our amiable mother, wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who is here on a collaborative visit with the NDDC. This is the second time the NDDC is collaborating with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of the first lady.
“I urge other regional commissions, especially the North East Development Commission and others which would soon come on board to carefully go through the RHI programmes to know where they can partner.
“The event we’re witnessing today is the second phase of a programme which the NDDC began last year. Last year alone, the NDDC took this medical outreach to the nine states of the Niger Delta region where about 32,000 surgeries were performed and other health challenges diagnosed and treated”.
Also speaking, Managing-Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku promised to deliver on the mandate of the laws establishing the Commission with proven projects and programmes.
Ogbuku said one of such projects was the flag-off of the periodic medical outreach organized by the commission and the ongoing spree of inaugurating projects and programmes executed by the current management board of the NDDC across the nine Niger Delta States.
The Commission’s boss said the NDDC under his stewardship was different, praising the President for his support, just as he noted that President Tinubu has carefully chosen men of character and integrity, some academia, politicians and technocrats as management board of the NDDC to deliver on his Renewed Hope Initiative.
Ogbuku said:”The essence of the partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative(RHI) of Mr President was to enable the NDDC to deliver more on the area of health, education and other social services that affect children and women in the Niger Delta region.
“For the past one month, we’ve been commissioning projects executed by the NDDC in the past one year under the RHI of Mr President”.
In his remarks, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri stated that the State’s partnership with the NDDC gave birth to the initially state-owned cottage hospital and community secondary school projects that were inaugurated on Thursday at Otuasega community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
He said NDDC was not a competitor with the state, but a partner in progress, stressing that his administration was open for collaboration in order to avoid duplication and abandonment of projects.
The State’s Chief Executive recalled how he appealed to the interventionist agency to hand over the Polaku/Sabagreia road and bridge project to the state government, saying the project, which is almost completed, highlights the willingness of the state government to partner the commission and other development agencies.
Diri said: “Today marks a significant milestone in NDDC. But, importantly, we have a partnership with the commission and the state government is grateful for that.
“Let me thank our dear First Lady, who is a lover of progress and development. Your commitment to the development of our people is commendable”.
