The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged the people of Ondo State to protect the commission’s local projects from vandalism.
The commission bemoaned the fact that dishonest members of host communities had either stolen or vandalized several of its finished projects.
At a one-day capacity-building engagement session for stakeholders on Wednesday in Okitipupa town, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde, executive director, corporate services of the NDDC, made this statement.
Abegunde, who was represented at the event by Mr. Kunle Karaki, the state director of the commission, emphasized that theft, vandalism, neglect, and destruction of public assets hinder development efforts and impede advancement in vital areas like roads, electricity, and other essential facilities intended to enhance the Niger Delta region’s quality of life.
He said, “Regrettably, we have observed instances where vandalism, theft, neglect, and insufficient community engagement have compromised valuable assets intended to improve collective well-being. Such setbacks not only delay progress but also diminish the returns on resources committed for the benefit of our people.
“Any NDDC project that is commissioned, everybody believes that the project is a government project. Who is the government? You are the owners and the government in that community. You are the eyes of NDDC in that community. We have recorded a lot of incidents where our projects have been vandalized in broad daylight by members of the community.
“Look at the one in Ilaje High School, Igbokoda. Three projects were brought down in the afternoon, and everyone was watching. It has been recorded, and the money has been credited to those projects, whether you like it or not, and you are part of it. There was a time, you will remember, in some communities, all of our solar systems were removed.”
In order to discuss ways to protect the commission’s projects in host communities, Abegunde pointed out that the stakeholders’ gathering was essential. He asked locals to exercise greater caution.
“We cannot fold our hands and allow this thing (vandalization of projects) to continue. That is why NDDC has taken it upon itself to organize this type of town hall meeting so that we can open up our minds, make suggestions, and identify grey areas where we can do better.
“Where we are going now is to remind ourselves that these projects are ours. So when you see anybody wanting to vandalize NDDC projects, take it upon yourself to make the necessary calls so that, at the end of the day, you can even boast that in your community, NDDC has more projects,” he charged.
In a paper titled “Strengthening community ownership framework for sustainable NDDC project monitoring and protection against vandalism and theft,” Dr. Ajibola Shekoni of the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Lagos State University attributed the problem of NDDC project theft and vandalism to both sociological and security flaws.
Local people in the mandate area have continued to feel cut out from the wealth generated on their ancestral lands, according to a document provided by Mr. Eniola Akinsola, a former chief press secretary to former governor Olusegun Mimiko.
“When communities are left out at the initial needs assessment and project design stages, they tend to view the infrastructure as government property instead of communal heritage. The absence of psychological ownership renders projects vulnerable to vandalism,” he noted.
Mr. Francis Abayomi, the NDDC’s director of peace and development projects, encouraged stakeholders to refrain from destroying government projects in his remarks.
He urged Niger Delta residents to actively participate in and advocate for the commission’s efforts to enhance service delivery and advance sustainable development in the area.
