NDDC Ag MD, Prof. Brambaifa & Ondo Gov., Rotimi Akeredolu. |
The
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has commended the
Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for its timely intervention in
ensuring adequate healthcare for the people of the Niger Delta region.
Akeredolu
was speaking when the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa,
paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor's office in Akure, accompanied by the
Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Dr. Chris Amadi, and the
Acting Executive Director of Projects, Dr. Samuel Adjogbe, as well as other
directors and staff of the Commission.
The
Ondo State Governor said he was delighted that NDDC was making efforts to
ensure a healthier Niger Delta, noting that for a healthy Nigeria, there was
need for a healthy Niger Delta. “If Niger Delta is not healthy, Nigeria will
not be healthy,” he declared.
Akeredolu
thanked the NDDC for promptly responding to the needs of the state, especially
in its efforts to check the scourge of Lassa fever, which he said had been
ravaging Ondo and Edo states seasonally.
He
lamented that the huge cost of managing the Lassa fever outbreaks was weighing
heavily on the resources of the state government, noting that it was costing
the state about N1.6 million to treat one patient alone.
The
Ondo State Governor pleaded with the NDDC to expedite action on the
construction of the strategic Akodo-Araromi/Ibeju-Lekki road, which he said
would reduce the journey from the state to Lagos to 45 minutes.
He
also urged the Commission to expedite action on the Omotosho/Okitipupa
electrification project as the oil-bearing communities in the state had been
without electricity for many years.
Earlier
in his remarks, the NDDC Chief Executive Officer said they were in the state to
assist the government in combating the Lassa fever epidemic.
Brambaifa
said that the NDDC had come to handover to the government of Ondo State Lassa
Fever personal protection equipment, ambulance, as well as medical consumables
and drugs. He said this was part of the commitment of NDDC to facilitate
sustainable development in the Niger Delta region and improving the living
conditions of the people.
He
said: “The recent outbreak of lassa fever, for instance, compels our attention.
We responded to the request from your government to intervene because our
people must be healthy to enjoy the development we bring. We must, therefore,
continue to promote good community hygiene, discourage invasion of rodents into
our homes, and introduce effective measures, which include storing grains and
other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers.”
Brambaifa
said that the NDDC recently engaged consultants to provide sensitisation and
advocacy across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State, adding that the
Commission would continue to engage with the people, across all the communities
of the Niger Delta.
The
NDDC boss said that the Commission remained committed to working to provide
projects and programmes that impact positively on the lives of the people,
stating that in Ondo State, the Commission had completed 499 projects, while
172 were on-going.
He
observed that the partnership between NDDC and Ondo State Government in the
construction of the Araromi-Akodo/Ibeju-Lekki Road remained an inspiring
example of what must be done to achieve the Commission’s mandate of
facilitating the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta
region.
He
assured: “We are committed to ensuring the completion of the very important
50.918km road, which connects several Ondo communities to Lagos State. We are
also committed to delivering more efficiently and speedily all projects we have
begun in Ondo State, as well as in the other Niger Delta states.
“To
achieve this, we will continue to depend on the support of the governors of the
region because we can only achieve our mission by working together.
“Our
most compelling call to service, as leaders of our people, is to improve their
lives, satisfy their needs and inspire them to continue to work as healthy
citizens to make the Niger Delta a better place.”
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