The Niger Delta Development Commission has warned traditional rulers, youths, and community leaders against vandalising development projects executed by the commission in Cross River State.
The NDDC warned that communities that fail to protect such facilities may be denied future interventions.
The Cross River State Director of the commission, Daniel Ajuwa, gave the warning on Friday during a sensitisation programme organised by the NDDC in Calabar to promote community ownership and protection of intervention projects.
Ajuwa said the awareness campaign was aimed at educating communities, civil society organisations, government agencies and youth groups on the need to safeguard projects executed by the commission across the Niger Delta.
He said, “This awareness campaign is very important. It helps in educating communities, civil society organisations, government agencies and youth groups on the need to safeguard projects executed by the commission across the Niger Delta. So communities which fail to protect such facilities may be denied future interventions.”
“The commission has invested huge resources in providing solar-powered street lights and other critical infrastructure across communities in the state, but it is very sad that some youths vandalise the facilities for personal gains,” he said.
He described the development as disheartening, noting that some individuals had been caught on camera stealing solar light components installed by the commission.
“NDDC is doing a whole lot to make life better for the people of the Niger Delta and to put smiles on the faces of citizens. It is unfortunate that after spending huge resources to execute these projects, some criminals go at night to pull down the poles and steal the bulbs,” Ajuwa said.
He explained that the solar lighting project was approved by the Managing Director of the commission to address insecurity and improve night-time visibility in communities.
Ajuwa warned that communities that allow vandalism of NDDC facilities would not benefit from future projects.
“We have resolved as a commission that any community that allows vandalism of our projects will not get any other intervention from NDDC. Communities must take ownership of these projects because they are meant for their benefit,” he added.
Ajuwa also disclosed that over 100 stakeholders, including representatives of security agencies, traditional institutions, government officials and community leaders, participated in the sensitisation programme.
A Facilitator, Dr. Carol-Bichene Ebuta, said the programme was designed to build the capacity of communities to protect and sustain development projects implemented by the commission.
Ebuta noted that although the NDDC had executed several intervention projects across the Niger Delta over the years, many of them had been vandalised, abandoned or poorly maintained.
According to Ebuta, available statistics indicate that about 50 per cent of NDDC projects in the region are no longer functioning as originally implemented due to vandalism and lack of community ownership.
He urged residents to change their perception of government projects and begin to see them as community assets that must be protected.
“When NDDC brings solar lights to a community to address darkness and improve security, and people go ahead to vandalise them, it means they are putting their own community back in darkness,” he said.
Ebuta called on communities to organise local vigilance groups and mobilise youths to safeguard the facilities.
He added that residents must also maintain the environment around such projects to ensure they remain functional and beneficial to the people.
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