Reactions have trailed the talent hunt organized by the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) with many in Bayelsa State describing the exercise as a massive waste of funds required for more pressing development needs.
The criticisms have been relentless despite the fact that part of the mandates of the NDDC as contained in the Act establishing it is youth development.
NDDC was established in 2000 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to address huge development deficits in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
For many, the decision of the interventionist agency to identify potential entertainment stars in a “Talent Hunt” programme is a waste of resources.
Defending the “Talent Hunt” programme, the Interim Sole Administrator of NDDC, Effiong Akwa said the move was predicated on the need to engage and create opportunities for youths in the Niger Delta.
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The performance and impact of NDDC has been questioned with many. While some have called for the agency to be repositioned with a substantive board, others have argued that the agency has become a cesspool of corruption and should be scrapped.
( Editor: Omor Bazuaye)
