Ebie’s loyalty to Tinubu, exemplary, legendary – Utomi

Media Aide to the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Chiedu Ebie, Jerome-Mario Utomi, has described his principal’s loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as exemplary, while attributing the growing cohesion within the Commission to his peaceful leadership style and cordial relationship with the Board and Management.

Utomi, while speaking with The Mirror Newspaper, recently said that Ebie’s commitment to the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, coupled with his preference for dialogue, cooperation and collective responsibility, had helped strengthen institutional harmony within the NDDC and advance the Commission’s development mandate across the Niger Delta.

He noted that Ebie has always shown confidence in President Tinubu’s determination to transform the region, publicly expressing that conviction on several occasions and urging the Commission to align its programmes with the Federal Government’s development priorities.

According to Utomi, as far back as February 2024, Ebie’s loyalty was clearly articulated during his welcome address at a two-day strategic retreat organised by the NDDC Board and Management in Akwa Ibom State, under the theme, “Renewed Hope: A New Era of Vitality, Peace and Development.”

At the event, Ebie recalled that the NDDC Governing Board was among the early federal government boards constituted by President Tinubu after assuming office in May 2023.

He expressed appreciation for the President’s support, guidance and love and pledged the Board’s commitment to advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda through effective service delivery.

In a similar vein, in 2025, at a Board and Management retreat in Lagos with the theme: “Repositioning NDDC for Efficient Service Delivery”, Ebie, while presenting a paper titled: “Steering a Course Towards Greater Impact” assured the Commission will remain guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu in its drive to bring accelerated development to the Niger Delta region.

Ebie said: “We remain guided by the clarion call of the Honourable Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, as we align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. The eight presidential priorities encompassing food, security, poverty eradication, job creation, and the fight against corruption serve as our roadmap toward a brighter and more prosperous Niger Delta.

Utomi said the Chairman’s public statements reflected a consistent commitment to the administration’s development objectives, adding that his approach had helped create a working environment in which Board members and Management could pursue shared goals despite the complexities associated with managing an interventionist agency serving nine oil-producing states.

He argued that loyalty, in Ebie’s case, was demonstrated not merely through public declarations of support for the President and the APC, but also through an emphasis on institutional responsibility, policy alignment and the practical delivery of development projects.

“Mr Ebie has an unalloyed belief in President Tinubu’s determination to reposition the Niger Delta. His approach underscores the importance of translating political commitment into institutional cooperation and measurable development outcomes,” Utomi said.

Ebie’s recent appointment as a member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Campaign Council and Coordinating Director IV (Contact and Mobilisation) did not come as a surprise to me. It is a fitting recognition of his years of dedicated service, effective political engagement and exceptional ability to build bridges across political divides, reconcile competing interests and mobilise support for progressive causes.

His inclusion in the national campaign structure underscores his growing political relevance and the confidence President Tinubu has in his leadership capabilities. His previous roles in Delta State, coupled with his current position at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have equipped him with invaluable experience in governance, institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement, further positioning him to make meaningful contributions to the success of the campaign.

He further observed that Ebie’s peaceful disposition and cordial working relationship with the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and other members of the Board and Management had contributed to a stronger sense of unity within the Commission.

According to him, effective leadership in a development institution requires more than the authority attached to an office. It demands the ability to build consensus, manage differences constructively, encourage teamwork and keep the organisation focused on its core mandate.

Utomi maintained that the emphasis on collaboration was particularly important for the NDDC, whose responsibilities span infrastructure, education, agriculture, human capital development and other critical areas affecting the livelihoods of millions of people across the Niger Delta.

He pointed to projects and programmes associated with the Commission, including the 132KV transmission line and 132KV/33KV substation at Ode Erinje in Okitipupa, Ondo State, which ended a prolonged period of electricity blackout in parts of Ondo South, as well as the 25.7-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State, which connects riverine communities through bridges and culverts, among others.

He also cited the Commission’s overseas postgraduate scholarship programme, under which about 600 beneficiaries from the region were reported to have received awards to pursue master’s degrees, as an example of investment in human capital alongside physical infrastructure.

Utomi linked the broader development outlook to the Federal Government’s support for the region and NDDC.

He said such projects reinforced the importance of sustained cooperation between the Federal Government, the NDDC and other development stakeholders, while stressing that lasting progress would depend on continuity, accountability and effective implementation.

The NDDC Chairman’s position, Utomi added, was also consistent with calls by Niger Delta elders and stakeholders for stronger collaboration between the Commission’s leadership and its partners. He referenced a stakeholders’ communiqué that commended the Board and Management for prioritising infrastructure, education, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and transparency.

For Utomi, the central test of leadership is the ability to unite people around a common purpose and direct institutional resources towards improving lives.

He urged stakeholders to sustain their support for the NDDC while encouraging the Commission’s leadership to consolidate its achievements and remain responsive to the needs of communities across the region.

He expressed optimism that continued cooperation between the Board and Management, backed by adequate funding and support from the Federal Government, would strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver sustainable development, promote peace and restore public confidence.

Utomi concluded that the Niger Delta’s development aspirations would be better served when political commitment, peaceful leadership and institutional unity converge around a common objective: building a region where infrastructure, education, economic opportunity and peace translate into tangible improvements in the lives of its people.