Group Picture of DESOPADEC and PIND Teams (Left Hon Ochor Chris Ochor, ED SOcial Services Development, Next is Engr. Victor Wood, ED Planning, Research and Statistic, Followed by Heads of Dept DESOPADEC)
By Emmanuel Enebeli
Warri: In order for a holistic and better development of the Niger Delta Region, there should be the will by the people from the area to have attitudinal change on the way development projects and programs are perceived, especially among the youths.
This was the opinion between some management staff, workers of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, during a fact finding visit to the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta-Economic Development Centre Warri (PIND-EDC), in Egbokodo Itsekiri, in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Thursday 26 January, 2017.
Speaking on the visit, Hon Ochor Chris Ochor, the Executive Director Social Services Development, said that the Directorate on behalf of the commission, initiated it to understudy how the activities of PIND will help the commission to solve most of the problems they are striving to solve most especially the challenges of youths, and those living with disability, especially with the fall in oil production and revenue which is having a direct impact on the commission.
According to him, the commission have to look outwards to attract development partners that will help to take care of the cost of caring for the needs of some groups of persons in the mandate areas.
“We need external help to see that the people within the mandate areas are taking care of, with the fall in oil production and revenue, which the commission relies on, it calls for external support”.
While stressing for development partners to join hands with the commission to find long time solutions to the needs of the people, he however called for the attitudinal change among the people to stop the violent behaviours towards development agencies as this will always scare away genuine investors that want to bring positive changes to oil bearing communities.
Also speaking on the need for change in attitude among the people of the Niger Delta, the Executive Director in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics, Engr. Victor Woods said for a holistic development to take place, the present behaviour of the people towards developmental activities which is seen more as personal gains, than that of the entire community, have to change. He decried the behaviours, saying,
“There is no way development can come to a place where there is always the view, that what comes to that community is for empowerment”.
He called for a possible synergy between PIND and the commission, if they can bring their expertise to bear on the communities within the mandate areas.
Welcoming the DESOPADEC team, the Field Operating Manager of PIND-EDC, Florence Agejule, said the foundation had been at the fore front of building a new image for the people of the Niger Delta through training, and attracting developmental agencies to the area.
According to her the work of the organisation had also touched on the need for the communities, especially the youths of the communities to see development as holistic and not just personal empowerment, as many companies and development partners had left the area because of the hostile attitudes towards development efforts of government and development agencies.
Both group agreed at the end of the fact finding tour, that there is need to develop synergy to work together, in order to bring rapid development to the area, through top management discussions and meetings.
Those that were in the fact finding tour was staff of both directorates at Head of Department Level.
