… As Dino Melaye wants transparency in NDDC procurements to create boom in oil region
As the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual general conference continues to generate highlights, the topmost management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called for a special court to try oil-related offenders in the Niger Delta.
The call specifically came from Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Commission while addressing the nation’s legal lawyers and other legal luminaries as guest speaker in Enugu.
The CEO said the need for a special court is to fast-track judicial processes, warning that crimes such as oil vandalism, oil theft, kidnapping, and pirate activities have harmed oil operations.
Ogbuku, while speaking at the ongoing 2025 NBA in Enugu State, tagged: ‘Stand Out, Stand Tall,’ stated that should such a court be established as requested, all cases and offences involving oil operations would be resolved in record time.
The NDDC boss expressed the view that delayed court processes were among the key challenges hindering the oil economy.
“We believe that if there is a Special Court to accelerate the trial of crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and kidnapping, it will serve as a strong deterrent,” he said.
He stressed that the continued detention of suspects in prison for prolonged periods while awaiting trial was no longer helpful or beneficial to the oil economy, hence the urgent need for a special court to handle the cases.
Ogbuku also made a further appeal for the people of the Niger Delta to take advantage
of the region’s abundant Blue Economy resources.
According to him, once these opportunities are fully explored and appreciated, the case for the region’s development would gain broader acceptance.
He explained that the push for the Blue Economy had led the Commission to embark on massive coastal road construction projects aimed at providing proper road networks across the region.
“We are also exploring the Blue Economy by encouraging youth participation through internship programmes where they can acquire skills,” he said.
He further disclosed plans for a local scholarship scheme to benefit qualified individuals in the oil-rich region, while announcing an end to favouritism in the commission’s operations.
The NDDC boss mentioned road project being executed to the excravos, saying to would create big boost to the economy of Warri in Delta State and enhance the blue economy.
In his response, Dino Melaye called on the NDDC boss to ensure that transparency becomes the guiding principle in the award of contracts, procurement, and other activities, so that the people of the Niger Delta could benefit maximally from the system.
Melaye said a transparent NDDC would create numerous avenues for youth of the oil region and reduce tension that would to more prosperity to the nation.
The opening day of the AGC drew several dignitaries of high repute, including Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who officially declared the conference open. The Governor showed how development would not be achieved without a justice system that is fair, functional, and trusted.
He also mentioned Enugu’s preparations via digitalising courts, implementing justice autonomy, and improving infrastructure, for providing a fitting venue for the AGC.
Other highlights of the Enugu event which could have held in Port Harcourt but for the state of emergency was the presence of Sa’ad Abubakar 11, the Sultan of Sokoto, who called for access to justice to all instead of a few. Should justice become a commodity, he warned, the poor would suffer legal failure while the rich would evade accountability.
Another highlight was the a keynote from Julius Malema, President of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who attracted a standing-ovation. He called for pan-African unity, including a single currency, a unified military command, and borderless movement across the continent. He said this would break cycles of exploitation and dependency. He rebuked xenophobia and called for homegrown industrialization of Africa’s mineral wealth.
