The Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Efiong Akwa, says that the Commission must be transparent in its operations to better deliver on its mandate to the Niger Delta region.

Speaking during a two-day Workshop for management staff of the interventionist agency in Port Harcourt, Akwa declared that one of the biggest challenges to achieving organisational goals was lack of transparency and integrity.

"This workshop is part of on-going efforts initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari through the institution of the forensic audit into the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission from inception to make the Commission better prepared to discharge its mandate to the Niger Delta region and Nigeria," he said.

Akwa stated that the core objective of the workshop was not just to re-orientate the participants to a new ideology of transparency and integrity, "but to offer knowledge and skills required to work more effectively."

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer stated: "The expected outcome is to enhance the performance and job delivery efficiency of all the Commission's staff to ensure that we are better equipped to offer the Niger Delta region a service that meets their expectations and dreams. And this is very vital to the life and relevance of this Commission to be able to facilitate the sustainable development of the Niger Delta diligently, efficiently, and effectively.

“As a Commission, the task before us is to establish the institutional framework that will support the prudent and diligent discharge of our duties within the legal and institutional demands for integrity, decency, and due process.”

Akwa observed that the workshop would help to create a new zeal among the staff, encouraging them to become champions for transparency at all procedural and structural levels of work in NDDC.

“To achieve our mandate," he stated, "we must be willing and determined to be the change we seek for the Niger Delta region. We must be willing and ready to comply with the civil service rules, financial regulations, as well as with the ICPC, EFCC and CCB acts and other extant rules and laws in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government, under President Buhari, and our supervising Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is keen to establish within the Commission, and within us all, a new attitude towards our duties within the workplace. If we must become change agents, we must be equipped adequately to do what is right, within the law and our moral obligations. That is the new spirit we must embrace in NDDC. That is the new NDDC we must, collectively, build. We owe it to ourselves, this Commission, our stakeholders, and this great region. In the end, we will stand right before man and before God.”