Jonathan Backs Tinubu’s Continuity Policy in Niger Delta Development

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has identified frequent leadership changes as a major setback to the effective performance of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), stressing that the instability has severely hindered project execution and long-term planning.

Jonathan made the remarks on Saturday during the 25th anniversary grand finale celebration of the NDDC in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. He expressed concern over the high number of leadership transitions within the agency, saying the short tenures of managing directors made sustained development almost impossible.

“The frequent changes of the leadership of the NDDC have been a problem for the development,” Jonathan said. “From what the chairman said, over these 25 years, we have had 11 CEOs of the NDDC. That means that the CEO on average is two years, three months. So, two years, three months—how can you plan? How can you finish projects that are significant to the region?”

Jonathan cited former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who had earlier pointed out a long list of abandoned projects across the Niger Delta. He explained that such failures were not always due to incompetence, but were often the result of a lack of continuity and long-term vision caused by political disruptions.

In a notable gesture, the former president praised President Bola Tinubu for choosing to retain Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the NDDC. According to Jonathan, Tinubu’s decision to keep Ogbuku in office—despite having the opportunity to appoint a replacement after assuming office in 2023—signals a rare but commendable show of political will to ensure stability and development in the region.

“If Tinubu was not interested in developing this region, he would have removed him… He would have been just five months in office. Nobody would have heard about Ogbuku.”

Jonathan concluded that for the NDDC to fulfil its mandate, there must be strategic continuity in leadership, deliberate planning, and resistance to the temptation of politicizing appointments within the Commission.