SDGs: IRDC inaugurates 53 building projects, 1 farm in 20 Delta creeks

SOME 20 Itsekiri communities in Delta State were a beehive of conviviality weekend as the Itsekiri Regional Development Committee (IRDC), in collaboration with the Delta State government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Chevron Nigeria Ltd Joint Ventures, inaugurated 52 two-bedroom detached bungalows, one town-hall and an integrated agricultural farm.

The beneficiary communities, which leaders will allocate the red-roofed two-bedroom detached bungalows to a family each as they deem fit, included Aja-Amita (3), Ebrohimi (2), Gbokoda (3), Jakpa (3), Obaghoro (2), Tebu (3), Kolokolo (3), Sagharatie (1), Tisun (2) and Ureju (3).

Others were Usor (3), Bateren (3), Deghele (3), Ajudaibo (3), Madaghon (2), Ijaghala (2), Ode-Ugborodo (3), Ogidigben (3), Ugbolegin (3), Ugboegungun (2), a town hall at Eghoro and one integrated agricultural farm at Tisun.

The housing projects, sponsored by the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), are said to be in line with the 11.1 target of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which projected that by 2030, nations should ensure, for all, access to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services as well as upgrade of slums.

Speaking at the two-day inauguration event which held on March 28 and 29, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL), Mr Esimaje Brikinn, expressed great joy at the success of the projects, said to have suffered delay for some years.

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Brikinn, who was represented by the Area Manager, PGPA, Mr Sam Daibo and PGPA Superintendent, Mr Tony Emegere at the event respectively, said the 54 projects for the 20 Itsekiri communities in Warri South West and Warri North local government areas, came alive “after a long period of inaction due to internal issues,” noting with ecstasy that the IRDC is back, vibrant and united and ready to add value to people’s lives in the member communities.”

While thanking the Delta State government and relishing the large turn-out of folks at the inauguration ceremonies, Brikinn disclosed that the projects were “designed to make life better for the people in the benefiting communities and beyond.”

He reiterated that the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has maintained a robust partnership with the Delta State government, IRDC as well as with the communities around the companies’ areas of operations.

“CNL takes its role as a corporate citizen in Nigeria seriously and continues to demonstrate its commitment to responsible corporate citizenship through
social investment programmes that promote health, education and economic development in communities around our operational areas and beyond.

“This occasion demonstrates yet another example of the NNPC/CNL JV’s efforts to improve the welfare of the people in our operational areas and beyond.

“We are happy that community members from the 20 Itsekiri communities around CNL’s area of operations are benefitting from this programme.

“The success of this programme is a demonstration of the strength and benefits inherent in partnership. The partnership between all the stakeholders in the implementation of the project reminds us of the saying that; ‘Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.’

“By working together with all other stakeholders, the IRDC has achieved this success,” Brikinn enthused.

According to him, between 2005 and 2018, through the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) with communities around the companies’ operational areas in Delta State and beyond, the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has “invested more than N20. 6 billion on about 600 programmes that have provided scholarships; built new schools, medical facilities plus housing; and supported agriculture development and infrastructure improvements.”

Brikinn concluded that the IRDC’s success in delivering the projects has reinforced “CNL’s belief that the process that is community-driven could stimulate quicker community development than processes and systems designed without effective participation of community members.”

Chairman of IRDC, Ambassador Austin Oniyesan, during the inauguration, specially thanked NNPC/Chevron JV for providing the fund, and Delta State government, head of all the Itsekiri communities for the successful completion of the projects which he corroborated were parts of the halfway-done 2014 and 2015 projects.

He recalled that IRDC has been in the forefront of providing scholarships for children in secondary and tertiary institutions and has also provided job opportunities to youths in Chevron and has recently created wealth by training 400 persons in the capacity building and skills acquisition.

Oniyesan added that in due time, the next project cycle of IRDC will start after the completion of the NEEDS assessment in the Itsekiri communities.

Meanwhile, the Delta State government, represented by the Commissioner of Oil and Gas, Mr Freeman Fregene, who thanked the people for supporting Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other candidates in the last general elections, enjoined the three Warri local government areas to make judicious use of the facilities and further give peace a chance.

He expressed gladness and thanked NNPC/Chevron JV for the projects, saying there was no way government alone could provide all infrastructure for its people without the complementing efforts of the private sector.

While enjoining IRDC to ensure the spread of more projects to all communities, Fregene, who decried litigations and strifes among the people, appealed to Chevron host communities to further give room for peace especially in the area of transition of power in the IRDC leadership.

He further admonished Chevron to carry out more sensitizations through workshops and seminars of the people on peace-building and harmonious living among themselves and international oil companies.

Other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission (DESOPADEC) were represented by Arch Oyelade Oyeleke David, Engr Mattu Oritsejurenmisan and Mr Godwin Omadoye respectively.

Several community leaders, including the Olare-Aja (Oldest Man) of Tebu Community, Pa. Jackson Edemayibo Tuoyo, also appreciated IRDC and the NNPC/Chevron JV for the projects, assuring that Itsekiri host communities would not stop in providing an enabling environment for genuine investors to thrive in their endeavours.

A representative of the Olu of Warri, Chief Omolubi Newuwumi, who pleaded with the youth to remain peaceful, applauded NNPC/Chevron JV and the IRDC which he described as a veritable platform put together to engender developmental projects, adding that people should not accede to calls on some communities to withdraw from the committee.