NDDC boss tells law students to drive N’Delta development

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has charged law students to harness their potential to drive sustainable development and shape the future of the oil region.

Ogbuku gave the charge on Tuesday while speaking at the 2024 Moot and Mock Trial Competition for Law Faculties in the Niger Delta region, held at the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The NDDC boss emphasised the critical role of legal education and the legal profession in nation-building and community service, which he said hinders intellectual prowess and justice.

He charged participants to engage in intellectually stimulating arguments, highlighting the region’s peculiarities and canvassing solutions to guide future legislation, facilitating even and rapid development.

Ogbuku said, “It is our belief in the NDDC that legal advocacy can play a significant role in highlighting the challenges that bedevil the Niger Delta region and proffering solutions to those challenges.

“The critically important role of Legal Education and the Legal profession in shaping our nation’s destiny cannot be over-emphasized.

“Law and the legal profession will continue to play definitive roles in nation-building and community service. ”

The NDDC MD/Chief Executive Officer reminded the young lawyers that they are the future of the profession and encouraged them to prove that their intellect is the most potent weapon to fight for their rights, rather than resorting to violence.

Ogbuku stated that his leadership has made educational development and human capacity-building key policy thrusts, aiming to make a real difference in the lives of the Niger Delta people.

The Chairman Governing Board of the NDDC, Chiedu Ebie, while presenting educational support materials and weekly Law reports to Law Libraries of participating Schools, emphasized that the essence of the competition was not solely to produce a winner, but to showcase the remarkable return on investment in the education of youths of thevNiger Delta.

He highlighted the NDDC’s commitment to nurturing brilliant legal minds, equipping them to become champions of the region, armed with the powerful tools of their voice, intellect, and the law.

The Commission’s board Chairman encouraged participants to embrace the platform as an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and pledged the interventionist agency’s continued support for excellence in legal advocacy.

Speaking, the Special Guest of Honour and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Onueze Okocha, SAN, expressed pride in the viability of the legal profession in Nigeria, while acknowledging a decline in standards.

Okocha highlighted two pressing concerns: the decline of standards in the legal profession and the proliferation of development agencies in Nigeria.

He blamed the decline in legal standards on the broader societal challenges facing Nigeria but assured that the NBA is working to maintain discipline and uphold the rule of law.

Okocha also expressed concerns about the replication of development agencies like the NDDC in other zones, saying it may lead to politicization and diversion of attention from the commission’s unique mandate to address the specific challenges of the oil-beating Niger Delta region.

Meanwhile, 13 Universities in the nine Niger Delta states will participate in the 2024 Moot Court competition as it intends to bring the students in a healthy contest and frame facts from legal issues peculiar to the socio-political environment of the region.