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MPP3 The Giant In Community Development By Samuel Uwhejevwe-Togbolo
The vision of MPP3 in the development of the Niger Delta region is a laudable programme which most be commended by all stakeholders. MPP3 as in recent time assistant in community base projects, which is directly savoring the hardship, the people are going through over the years. Community based project is a spice to the soul and a direct way of empowering the people at the same time enveloping development as a gift of democracy to the remote areas as a bid of taping from the national cake.
MPP3, which is a brainchild of the European
Commission (EC), is aimed to assist in the country’s economic, political
and social development. Such an ambitious goal calls for activity in a
range of inter-related areas. Development cooperation between the EC and
Nigeria dates back to 1976 when Nigeria joined the African, Caribbean and
Pacific (ACP) group of states as a signatory to the Lomé Convention.
However, this relationship was suspended in 1995 because of the execution
of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders by the then military government.
The strategy signed in 2002 reflects the unique challenges of Nigerian development. Large funds are available to the Nigerian government, mainly from oil. Funding from all donors amounts to about 2% or 3% of government’s revenues. However, government programmes have in the past failed to translate into effective services to the Nigerian people – schools, healthcare, water supply, roads – because of corruption and mismanagement. Today there is an unprecedented chance to change this, because of the government’s commitment to reform and the fight against corruption. The agreed EC-Nigeria strategy supports these changes, by concentrating on supporting Nigeria’s efforts to use its own funding better, rather than organizing stand-alone projects isolated from Nigerian structures.
When the EC re-started development cooperation in Nigeria, it was agreed with the Nigerian authorities that the Niger Delta region would be one of the first areas to receive support. Two Micro Projects Programmes (MPP3 and MPP6) were initiated for the nine states of the Niger Delta region. MPP3 has a budget of €21 million (about N3.6 billion) and covers the three states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers. MPP6 has a budget of €42 million (about N7.2 billion) and covers the six remaining states of the Niger Delta, namely: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross-River, Edo, Imo and Ondo. Together, the Micro projects programmes are expected to support more than 2,000 mainly village-based projects in these nine states of the Niger Delta. Their approach of transparency and community involvement is producing results with a value-for-money largely unknown till now in the Delta. The adoption of equally transparent and grassroots approaches for the use of the much larger sums available to government and oil companies’ community programmes, could help transform the Niger Delta and address its inequities. The European Commission (EC) projects couts across the length and breath of Nigeria
The European Commission (EC) with the aid of MPP3 has lived up to expectation; they have worked closely with some NGOs in the region to actualize their dreams. The host communities in their own part as played a useful role of assisting the MPP3 member NGOs in the development of their area. The cooperation so far received from the communities where projects are sited is worth commendable, this they have done through the supply of labour and local materials that are needed to complete such projects. The communities as also put in place strategy on how to maintain these projects long after MPP3 most have handed over the completed projects them (community).
Though Movement for Youth Actualization International (MYAI) has not carried out any project for the commission the organization is pleased with the even distribution of projects, the manner and way in which they are operating. MYAI is calling on all other cooperate bodies in the region to carry out such projects which directly empowers the community rather than cause problems by awarding contracts to ghost contractors who are not ready to do the jobs in which they bided for, to the betterment of the host communities.
NDDC and SPDC should work closely with NGOs to achieve their needed development in the region. It is the duty and responsibility of NDDC and SPDC to bring development closer to the grass-root people via tangible projects to ameliorate the hardship the people are going through. The Niger Delta region for instance has been clamoring for development base on their contribution to the federal account as a result of oil exploration in their region. Communities in the river rine area are worst heated with lack of Pipe born water, lack of access roads, Electricity yet they “SPDC” and other oil companies are in their land. A lot of things as been said about the ills in the region little or nothing has been done to caution the effect of hardship that is stabbing the people directly on their faces.
NDDC is an agency that is set up to give succor to the region, they are politicizing their contract, by awarding such to friends and politicians who are bent on wrecking the common man. The commission should wake up to the challenge of liberate the people in the region rather than inflict hardship on them, painting all newspapers with their glorified project with faceless values. NGOs in the area are ready to work closely with NDDC should they desire to work with us in bringing proper developmental projects to the region.
SPDC need to break the iota of misleading the masses and face the reality of time, gone are those days when the area is living on the directive of her Traditional Rulers, Chiefs including the influential patriots in the region. The masses are ready to fight back due to enlightenment that is rocking the region. There should be an open policy by SPDC in other to embrace peace and pursue sustainable development in the region. The river rine communities needs access roads, pipe born water, electricity etcetera, these are mega issues that can be taken care of by SPDC considering the level of wealth in the area and their involvement in oil extraction form their host communities, therefore NGOs should be involve in the development of the region; most NGOs are there to protect the people and have their credibility to maintain. SPDC should not just call NGOs for seminars after that lay the important issues raise in such seminars to rest by not actualizing the tenets of such discussions; NDDC and SPDC should emulate MPP3 in their quest for proper development of the region. MYAI a Non governmental organization (NGO) employs all stake holders, private organization to work acidulously to assist the people of the region from their perpetual bondage to a glorified oil producing region like their counterpart around the world.
Movement for Youth Actualization International (MYAI) a Non governmental organization (NGO) in Nigeria
mfyai@yahoo.com
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