The minister of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Abubakar Momoh, has warned the members of the commission’s board against underperformance during their tenure.

Mr Momoh gave the warning on Thursday in Port Harcourt when he inaugurated the new board.

NDDC spokesman Pius Ughakpoten disclosed this in a statement he issued to journalists.

The minister also challenged the new board members on the need to change the narratives around the commission, said the statement. 

Mr Momoh explained that President Bola Tinubu’s government had a template to measure performance, and any board that failed to measure up would be shown the way out.

“It is also necessary for you to know that this administration is quite different from others because there is going to be a lot of supervision and monitoring in order for us to deliver.

“As you are aware, two weeks ago, myself, as a minister, and the permanent secretary signed the performance bond with the president. And the performance bond that we signed has deliverables that are associated with the eight presidential priorities,” said Mr Momoh.

Like the ministers, the minister also said that the board members would be made to sign performance bonds. He, however, said the bond signing would be done during a proposed retreat for the board members and management team.

“So, it’s very, very important because the president is not joking with this and, from time to time, we are expected to present our reports. And there is also a committee that will be set up by the president to monitor the performance of each ministry and agencies,” Mr Momoh. 

The minister added, “So, I think I want this one to be behind your mind so that as you start your work, you know exactly what is expected from you. I want to also use this opportunity to appeal that this time around, we need to change the narratives.”

Mr Momoh also charged the board to focus on completing abandoned projects scattered across the nine states of the region. He appealed to the new management to offset the commission’s debt to its contractors, especially the local contractors, with a “very small amount, not more than N30 million.”

He advised members of the board to take responsibility for developing the region, saying they all hail from Niger Delta.

(NAN)