A Branded NDDC rice produced in commercial quantity hits the market across the nation by June this year. Just as the Commission has promised a litany of mega projects in the Niger Delta Region within the next ten years.
The Commission’s Managing Director, Dr. Christian Oboh announced this when he played host to the Director General and officials of BRACED Commission who paid him a courtesy call. The BRACED Commission is made up of the six South / South States in the Niger Region, viz Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta State.
According to the NDDC Managing Director, “We have a target to ensure that NDDC branded rice is in the market by June, we have a consultant who is working on the rice plant, to ensure that it is running”.
The NDDC Boss said the commission was committed to addressing the problem of food insecurity in the Niger Delta and has made provisions in the 2011 budget for the establishment of processing plants across the Region.
“By the time we do this, we will be providing both cheap food and employment for our people” the MD said.
On our projects, Dr. Oboh said “we are looking at Mega Projects littered all over the Region in the next ten years, we want to connect our communities with good roads not just one kilometer roads”
He promised that the commission was ready to partner and collaborate with all stakeholders to achieve set goals, just as it is open to criticisms. “We are open to criticisms, we need people to tell us what we are not doing right and how we can do it well, not just to dismiss NDDC entirety, that there is nothing good there” Oboh remarked.
Earlier the leader of the Delegation, Ambassador Joe Keshi had told the Managing Director that they were at the NDDC to explore areas of collaboration with the commission.
“You are such an important Agency, we want to work with you, we want to cooperate with you, when you look at what we are supposed to do and what you are expected to do, what is clear to any fair minded person is that there is so much room for us to work together” he said.
previous post
