The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  at a  seminar held at Aba, Abia State for youths drawn from communities in  its ( NDDC)  areas of operation in the state, sought partnership and cooperation of the communities to enable it fight vandalism of the  projects sited or being executed in their areas.

Speaking during the seminar  tagged  ” Capacity Building Engagement: Community Ownership and Protection of NDDC Projects for Niger Delta Stakeholders“, the Abia State NDDC  director,  Dr. Anderson Ukeh,  lamented that some of their projects in some areas or communities were vandalised.

He therefore stressed the need for the communities to do the needfuls that  can address this project vandalism in their areas, stating that it was this ( vandalism acts )  that informed the holding of the seminar to find the solution.

Ukeh revealed it was as a result of the spate of vandalism of NDDC Projects across its operations that made the  NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to approve the seminar for some youths drawn from the  communities where NDDC has projects.

He urged  the participants to return to their communities  after the seminar, and do the needful that would check future projects vandalism, including disseminating the  appropriate messages on the protection of NDDC Projects.

He said ” it is quite unfortunate that many of the NDDC projects scattered in the various communities have been vandalized. In most cases, the people don’t see these projects as theirs, but believe they are Government or NDDC projects, to which anything can happen”.

According to the State NDDC Director ( Dr Ukeh ) , it was to educate the people on the need to see such projects in their communities as theirs that made the NDDC Management to approve and direct that  this  sensitization programme be organized.”

Urging  the participants further he charged   “if  you see anybody vandalizing NDDC projects in your area, and you  report the person to our office we will handle it effectively.”

Noting  however that Abia State  has been  relatively peaceful, Dr Ukeh still tasked  the participants to double efforts in safeguarding NDDC projects in their communities.

The  Programne facilitator Mr  Stanley Okereke said that henceforth, the participants and  others would  become  the eyes of NDDC projects in their areas, having been selected for this, based on the  their track records.

Maintaining that the NDDC projects in the various communities ought and  must be protected for sustainable development of the NDDC region, Okereke argued  that  communities would grow if infrastructures put in place in their areas are not vandalized or destroyed.

And that since the NDDC officials will not be everywhere all the time to guard and protect the protects sited in the various communities,  this informed the holding of this seminar.

According to Okereke, the  NDDC no longer sites projects in an area for just siting them, revealing that the present approach is to consult with stakeholders of the community to know the project that they really desire, before  siting it.

“NDDC is now embracing the “bottom-top” approach where stakeholders of a community are consulted first to know their need before the project is sited.”

Participants who  in turns lauded  the NDDC for organizing the meeting/ interaction, opined  that NDDC  projects  could be protected through stakeholders inclusiveness  during their execution.

They therefore urged  NDDC to undertake people or community-oriented  projects, and de-emphasize political patronage in siting  them.