Why Ika Nation continues to voice heartfelt appreciation, respect to Ebie

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

Unlike the allegorical time and season in the Holy Bible (Ecclesiastes 3:1) that allocates a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens, all seasons and all times are standing still for the Chairman, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barrister Chiedu Ebie.

He has, without break, continued to enjoy respect, honour, recognition and adoration by his people, the Ika ancient nation in Delta state, for his steadfast contributions to the socio-economic, infrastructural and human capital development of the area.

The people have never been tired of voicing their heartfelt appreciation to Ebie. At every juncture, they let it be known to the world that their illustrious son is selfless, a pathfinder, an achiever and goal-oriented whose public service trajectory bears testimony to John C. Maxwell’s timeless postulation: “The world is divided into people who do things and people who talk about doing things.”

At a recent NDDC- powered International Youth Day celebration, with the theme, “Youth Advancement and Cooperation Through Technology and Partnership” held at Agbor, the political capital of the Ika nation, Ebie was fervently praised by Ika youths for his unprecedented infrastructure and human capital development attracted to the area, describing his leadership style as inclusive and people focussed.

The event was organised by the NDDC in partnership with the Noble Hope Empowerment Foundation.

Speaking during the celebration which brought together youths from across Delta State to discuss opportunities in technology, leadership, and partnership as a pathway for growth and cooperation, Mr. Ikechukwu Sylvester, youth leader of Ward 2 in Ika North-East Local Government Area, lauded Barrister Ebie’s unwavering commitment toward the infrastructure provision and sustainable development of Ika nation and immense contributions of the current Board and Management of NDDC to the Niger Delta’s development.

He said, “The man, Chiedu Ebie, has done well. Things like this have never been done here before. All the street lights you are seeing in Ika today were put in place by this man. We thank God for him, and we also pray that God will continue to strengthen President Tinubu, who gave us this kind of person in the Niger Delta.”

Egime Juliet, another participant, expressed delight at being part of the programme, describing Ebie, the NDDC Board Chairman, who was variously Delta state Commissioner for Higher Education and Secretary to the State Government (SGF), as God sent and a gift to the Niger Delta, especially the Ika nation.

According to her, “the NDDC chairman is doing well, he is a gift to us from God, he is God sent, a precious gift from God to the Niger Delta people, particularly the Ika nation. This programme is really for the youth, and I never expected it. This is the first time I have attended such a programme, and I am happy to be part of it. Whatever we have been taught today, I will put into practice. May God bless the man for us.”

While eulogizing Mr Ebie for the programme, Alika Clement, a participant, concurred with previous speakers, noting that the initiative had brought visible changes to communities. His words: “Everything my brother has said is correct.

Nobody expected that somebody like this could do all these things. Some of the street lights we are seeing today were put in place by this man. The Commission has existed, but we have never seen things like this physically before. Now people can gather together and benefit. We pray God continues to strengthen him.”

Recall that on Friday, February 28, 2025, the NDDC Board Chairman inspected some NDDC-funded critical projects he attracted to the Ika Federal Constituency for the benefit of the people, assuring that the Commission will prioritize the people’s requests.

Some of these projects include: the ICT centre at the Faculty of Law, University of Delta (UNIDEL), Agbor, with modern computers and state of the art infotech equipment; the inspection of construction project at the first phase of the failed portion of Umunede/Umutu Road by Pan Ocean Flow station, at Owa-Alidinma, Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, among others.

Under NDDC’s “Light Up Niger Delta Programme’’ Barrister Ebie also attracted thousands of solar street lights and 16 transformers to Ika Federal constituency, thereby boosting economic and social activities, which make life and living easier for the communities.

In April 2025, Ebie, in the same vein, facilitated the donation by NDDC of a well-equipped ambulance, 100kva generator, among other equipment, to the central hospital, Agbor, Delta state.

Earlier in April 2024, during the second Founders Day celebration and fundraising for Ika Language and Cultural Research Centre of the University of Delta, Ebie instituted a yearly award for the best graduating medical student at the University.

According to him, the award by the family, which would be reviewed after five years, is in honour of his father, the pioneer Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), late Professor John Ebie.