The Commanding Officer 29 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Lt. Colonel Aliyu Manga, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for co-operating with security agencies working in the Niger Delta region to ensure peace.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Commanding Officer said that he needed to build closer ties with the Commission.
He said the Army would continue to discharge its duties to the country, including maintaining peace in the Niger Delta region, which he affirmed was necessary for sustainable development to thrive.
Manga said: “We are here to get acquainted with the NDDC management and generally have a better understanding of our area of operations. Above all, we are seeking synergy with the Commission in the area of security in the Niger Delta region.”
A statement issued by Director, Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, explained that
the Commanding Officer urged the NDDC management to continue to support the security forces in the region and promised to sustain the cordial relationship between the Army and the Commission. He stated: “We will do our best to maintain this mutually beneficial relationship.”
Responding, the NDDC boss stressed the need for collaboration to ensure that the region remained peaceful, noting that development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.
He commended the Nigerian Army for all its efforts through the years, including the successes it achieved during the period of Operation Delta Safe and other subsequent military operations, that ensured sustained peace in the Niger Delta region.
He assured that the NDDC would never take security issues for granted, stating: “Apart from our core mandate of fast-tracking the development of the Niger Delta region, we also have a responsibility to ensure that the people of the region live in peace.”
Ogbuku, said that the NDDC and the Nigerian Army had a long history of collaboration which made a positive difference in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region.
In his own remarks, the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Maj-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd.) assured that the Commission would continue to support the army with some basic infrastructure, especially in their barracks.
