“In every difficulty lies opportunity” — Albert Einstern.

Current developments in our democracy have thrown up the emergence of quasi-ethnic sentiments, unbridled cultivation of poor national consciousness, weak institutions, poor perception of government, deteriorating national values, and insecurity.

In context, the present government's change mantra is intended, as it were, to jumpstart a new thinking, with the recruitment of new national leadership with lens to ignite our strength in diversity; trigger new opportunities founded on ethical values, national integrity and to drive our development process.

In furtherance to this vision, the present administration has demonstrated commitment to accelerate these core values in the appointment of vital corps of men and women with design-thinking and leading edge characters to drive our national institutions.

Therefore, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) – being a creation of an Act of parliament, as an interventionist agency – has the intended consequence, according to Jeremy Bentham’s felicitous calculus: “The success of the government is measured by the happiness of the greater majority, masses.” The recent strategic leadership recruitment into the NDDC led to the appointment of Obong Nsima Ekere as its managing director/CEO. This appointment has not only resurrected the collective human and infrastructure developmental urges and aspirations of the people and government, but has also enhanced salient answers to many inherent institutional weaknesses and threats. This leadership has developed competencies in galvanising public feed-back loop, triggered honest behaviour of citizens, and deliberately travelled road less taken: the road that requires innovations, ingenuity and inspirational leadership to vindicate its focus as a nexus between the people and government.

Today, NDDC, by its recent proactive initiatives, has brought about regional integration, youth empowerment, infrastructure upgrade, ethical and institutional integrity, national development and positive perception of government devoid of threats to public safety and the state. From these observable positive changes in the narrative of this erstwhile cesspool of crippling corruption, institutional and leadership deficit and hot-bed for agitations and poor national consciousness; a new dawn has risen in the horizon of the region in particular and the nation in general.

On all scores and flowing from the fountain of enormous goodwill, the current leadership of NDDC has shown sufficient understanding of the necessity of the change, and has provided the foundation for defining the best approach to manage the intended reasons for the interventionist agency.

Now that the reversal of the era of ineptitude and crass breach of accountability and responsibility has berthed, the people of the region, government and all stakeholders must earnestly demonstrate constructive and symbiotic synergy, with a reformed mindset to minimise uncertainty and distrust, with a view to consolidating on this rebirth process.

•Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, former spokesperson, House of Representatives, is a Public Communications Consultant with Democratic Governance Project.

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