In efforts to bring about peace in the troubled Okuama community in Delta State, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced its close collaboration with the Nigerian Army.
The NDDC made this known in Port Harcourt during a Strategic Capacity Building event on Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Approaches for NDDC’s Personnel. The event, themed “Fostering Peaceful Engagement for Sustainable Development,” was organized by the Peace and Development Project (PEDEP) in conjunction with the Department of Dispute and Conflict Resolution (DCR) of the NDDC.
The commission emphasized its dedication to changing the perception of the people regarding project implementation in the region to minimize conflicts and promote fair development.
Goddy Ogedemgbe, the Acting Director of the Department of Dispute and Conflict Resolution at the NDDC, stated that discussions with the military are ongoing to ensure lasting peace is restored in Okuama. He highlighted the commission’s commitment to preventing a recurrence of the situation in Okuama in any other part of the region.
Referring to the MD of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, Ogedemgbe mentioned, “The NDDC is transitioning from transaction to transformation, focusing on transparency in its operations. This training, an initiative of the MD, aims to equip NDDC personnel with conflict management skills to address issues proactively.”
Patrick Ikade, representing Prof. Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDDC, expressed gratitude to the DCR arm of the commission for providing the training. He highlighted the importance of equipping NDDC staff with conflict management and resolution skills to tackle the distrust and suspicion among the region’s populace regarding the commission’s projects.