The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ogbuku, announced that the commission plans to utilize technology to enhance all its operations, aiming to transform the Niger Delta Region.
Ogbuku made this announcement during a three-day Capacity Building and Retreat for the NDDC Directorate of Finance and Supply staff in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
This information was released in a statement by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
Ogbuku emphasized the importance of adopting technology to continually reposition the Commission for increased effectiveness and improved service delivery.
He emphasized the necessity of strong internal controls to manage external pressures on the Commission’s operations.
He mentioned that technology is crucial for ensuring ongoing fiscal transparency and accountability.
Ogbuku also highlighted the importance of finance and supply in the NDDC’s activities, noting that the directorate’s operations will be progressively automated to boost efficiency and improve public interactions with the Commission, including providing remote access to payment statuses to enhance transparency.
He cautioned finance personnel against negligence in documentation, emphasizing its importance in all transactions as accounting officers and auditors of the commission.
He also mentioned that the retreat should address major issues such as the commission’s significant debt burden and develop key recommendations and action points.
Kunemofa Asu, the Director of Finance and Supply, highlighted that training is vital for improving the NDDC’s management processes to enhance efficiency and accountability in serving the Niger Delta region. The annual retreat, themed “The Role of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in the attainment of the Renewed Hope Agenda: The Directorate of Finance and Supply as a Case Study,” aimed to set a new direction for the region’s development.
Asu stressed that training is essential for professional growth and organizational success, allowing staff to strengthen and acquire new skills, thereby improving their performance in the Finance and Supply Directorate.
In a presentation titled “The Niger Delta Development Commission, as an Interventionist Agency; The Journey So Far,” Uche Ejiofor, one of the resource persons, noted that the NDDC Act identifies oil companies as crucial partners for the commission’s financial sustainability. He recommended that the commission review its strategies to better leverage the contributions of oil companies to its funding.
