Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
An indigenous corporate company in Rivers State, Consiglories Think-tank Limited has announced that it is taking up some aspect of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC’s, Project HOPE, aimed at empowering Niger Delta youths with the launch of a Music and Arts Project (MAP).
The project HOPE, (Holistic Opportunities Programmes for Engagement), a youth empowerment program, which was initiated by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, to provide training and opportunities across various sectors like agriculture, technology, and entrepreneurship, to youths in the Niger Delta region, has suffered delay two years after it was launched in 2023.
In 2024, during the launch of the second phase at the Rivers State Information and Communication Technology Centre, in Port Harcourt, Chief Ogbuku announced that no fewer than 3.2 million Niger Delta youths have registered for the first phase of the project which according to him focused on creating a digital platform for data collection and analysis, and has established the parameters for effective program implementation.
But two years after, with the youths exhausting their patience in waiting for the implementation of the project which is not forthcoming, they are instead threatening fire and brimstone.
Our Correspondent reports that several moves by some agrieved youths in different quarters to take to the streets and barricade the NDDC gate in protest have been foiled by stakeholders and some leaders.
However, following the agitations, the Lead Consultant for the NDDC’s Project HOPE, Ambassador Blessing Fubara, as part of efforts pacify some of the aggrieved Niger Delta youths over the delay of the project launched the Music and Arts Project (MAP) for the youths.
Ambassador Fubara, while addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday said as a Indigenous Corporate Company they have decided to move with some of its pet projects they can afford while waiting for the NDDC’s project HOPE, if it will be a success or not.
He said, “I am the face of the project to the people and youths of the region, in as much as we all know that the MD/CO of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku is the face of project HOPE, but I am the resource consultant that designed the model for implementation as directed by the Commission and the MD.
“Also, I am the face that had made all the commitments to the people of the region and the youths of the region about the cardinals and the hopeful of the project HOPE which is supposed to be doing a proper implementation of the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda for the region.
“There is a strong need for me to speak and address concerns out there. The Project HOPE was launched in June 2023, and we are in February 2025.
“Yes, we understand that people will start asking questions because we started the product with the energy that reassured hope to the people of the region. We started the project with the energy that defines sincerity and purpose from the board.
“As an indigenous company and of course indigenous youth of the region, I have a fundamental responsibility and concern to at this point also answer some of the questions that are clouding to almost rain dirty in the region that we have already sustained hope and of course hope of sustainable development from this administration.
“As the Resource Consultant of the project and the Creative Director of an entity duly registered in Nigeria, I have the responsibility for my Corporate Integrity and of course a responsibility to have told the people in regards to the NDDC project, Project HOPE.
“At this point, lots of questions are being asked, standards of our service and practice in line with our service, why we have launched implementation of the project HOPE severally, yet proper implementation is yet to be felt by the people.
“For whatever reason that we have stalled till this time without being able to implement as directed by the principal directors, this I don’t want to go into not because there is something I don’t want to say but because the little I know is only what I can stand for and that’s the reason why we are still here today.”
He assured that series of moves are still on going internally to ensure the project comes to reality, and expressing fears that further delays may cause more panic among the youths, hence the commencement of the Niger Delta Music and Project for people of the region on February 18, 2025.
“I am concerned and worried that my personal reputation is at stake, my corporate reputation is at stake and of course, my livelihood which is solely dependent on my corporate reputation is almost at stake.
“While internally, we continue with negotiations and facilitations of prompt and immediate directives from our principals to commence, owing to the level of agitations and concerns of complains that we have seen out there from the youths and people of the region, which almost is beginning now to want to withdraw the consciousness and hope built by the people to give us a safe and peaceful region to thrive, we are very worried that we don’t want to go back to that phase where all doubt will again resume, where sincerity of purpose would again be doubted.
“So, today, as a company duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as an indeginious company as well, we want to today, take up the responsibility that we see as Corporate Social Responsibility to our region and of course the people that we have made commitment that while we wait for our principal to direct further for better and holistic implementation, it is in our own onus after due consultations with our principal partners, our co partners and investors and of course whom it may concern on the board of the LLC that we will render as a matter of CSR to the youths and people of the region some of the specimens of project hope that we can afford to fund within the time.
“This, we are doing with a sincere gesture to address the clouded agitations of the youths and people of the region on the state of the project till now, this we are doing to show our passion as an indigenous company to the people around the state of the youths of the region in the case of engagement, employment generation and interventions generally.
“With this after due consultation, we have decided that from today, we have announced that from the 18th of February 2025, we will open up the platform for the resubmission of the art content for the commencement of the Niger Delta Music and Arts Project.
“We are going to undertake this as CSR that we know that in line with our consultations, collaboration and commitment of our partners, we are sure that we are going to develop this to the later as we have promised the people while we still look up to further inclusive and holistic directive from our principal directors, the NDDC.
“From the 28th of February, auditions will commence for the Niger Delta Music and Arts Project starting from Bayelsa state, Delta State, Ondo, and across the 9 states of the region.
“From tomorrow the publicity that would outline and array all timelines and dates for auditions will be made open to the public.
We also gladly want to announce to you gentle men of the press and the region that the data base system was created as a method of needs assessment and parameter of selection and mediation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the executive director of a non-governmental organization known as Realive International Africa, Green Isaac has called on the leadership of the NDDC to see the project hope as a project that cannot be a push over in the region.
Former Special Adviser on Youth in NDDC, Alfred Etuk expressed worry over the delay of Project hope said the youths of the region are also worry over the delay.
He however pleaded with the youths of the region to be patience with the Commission, especially the Managing Director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku ensuring that the project HOPE is a reality.
