It is rare for people to sincerely appreciate what government intervention bodies do, especially if there is a precedent of failure, fraud and frustration.

The establishment of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led former federal government was not greeted with the usual joy and euphoria associated with such creations. The people felt betrayed by the failure of similar bodies established in the past.

NDDC never meant much to the majority of the people in the region because of the lackadaisical disposition to everything government, particularly when it has to do with the Niger Delta region. Those who rejoiced and celebrated were the political class who looked forward to getting political appointments and other forms of patronages like contracts.

But the common man never saw anything good in it, and they remained indifferent at best, and angrily frustrated at worse.

In Akwa Ibom State, which prior to the establishment of NDDC and the subsequent resource control struggle championed by Obong Victor Attah, governor of the state between 1999 and 2007, was never considered a core member of the Niger Delta household despite the large volume of oil, gas and condensate drilled from its territories, which accounted for so much of the country's earnings. The state has always been peaceful, though some persons accuse indigenes of the state of being docile and contended while sister-states in the Niger Delta were seriously agitating and restless.

Though the NDDC was never taken serious following established precedent of successive failures recorded in the past, the new organisation suddenly became pro-active in its desire to wipe off the negative perception inherited from previous organisations and agencies with similar objectives.

Aside the citing of projects, which of course were few due to what NDDC top brass described as the "paucity of funds", the NDDC was able to equitably carry the state along in management positions within the agency, especially since it was done on the level of volumes of contribution to the national economy. Akwa Ibom State is said not to have fared badly in position distribution in the NDDC, but there is no official statistics to the effect yet.

Project execution by NDDC in the state is not as envisaged by pundits. Given the equity contributions of the state to the national coffers, it is not wrong to expect so much from the NDDC, but some persons have argued that the intervention body cannot do much when the federal government still owes it close to N400 billion. The fund would have gone a long way in developing the largely rural areas of the region that have very difficult terrain, creeks, and coastal plains.

According to the Chairman of NDDC, Ambassador Sam Edem, though 47 projects have been completed and inaugurated in the state for use by the people, there are 337 projects that are ongoing. This represents 21.24 per cent of the total number of 384 projects in the state. But can 12.24 per cent of 384 projects mean success for NDDC in the face of present onslaught against the agency? Or can the apparent "failure" of the commission in the eyes of its critics be the about N400 billion owed the NDDC by the federal government? Akwa Ibom State people have been speaking on what they think about NDDC.

Edem noted that an Act of parliament created the NDDC to help the indigenes, communities and states of the area in developing rapidly in an integrated manner that will see development spread all segments of the nine states producing oil in the country.

Bassey Dan-Abia, lawyer, politician, administrator and activist, is a very exposed and experienced person who was chosen to serve as coordinator of the NDDC in the state.

And as the state coordinator of the agency, he has not only restored confidence in the agency's goals for the people of the state.

In Eket, principal of secondary school in Idung Iniang, where a block of six classrooms was inaugurated, Mr. Adams Adams, was full of gratitude to the agency, which came to the rescue of the school when facilities had dilapidated terribly in the school. The building has added beauty to the school.

Communities across the state are celebrating the addition of facilities in their communities and schools. In Uya Oron where the community's school got a block of six classrooms and Ikot Essien in Ikot Iboku Clan of Itu Local Government Area, which got a similar project commissioned, the people came out in droves to appreciate NDDC, noting that the state government cannot be saddled with all the responsibilities of providing facilities in the 400 public secondary schools.

Chief Okon Medekong, an elder statesman, who is president of Oron Development Union, while thanking the NDDC for adopting a bottom-top paradigm for the development of rural areas, raised the alarm over the growing number of uncompleted NDDC projects which liter the state.

And he wants the commission to arise, and deal with the situation before the growing goodwill of the agency is eclipsed by scandalous number of uncompleted projects.

Projects in the education sector found prominence in the NDDC's scheme for the state, while other projects like electricity, roads and bridge construction, human-development-centered projects among others also featured well in the planned phase of development for the state.

Ikot Abasi also had its fair share of the intervention of the NDDC. Ikot Ubo Akama is a typical agrarian community, which claimed it had been neglected over the years, but the NDDC gave the community an electricity project that threw the entire community into great joy.

Paramount leader of Ikot Abasi, Edidem Udo Ntuk-Obom, could not hide his joy. He introduced the community's role in protecting executed projects located in communities in the area. He stressed the need for the benefiting communities to be the security vanguards of projects cited in such communities, and promised that the Ikot Ubo Akama community will do well in this direction.

An innovative solar-powered mini-water works for the Nsukara Offot community in Uyo was established by the NDDC. The community, which has displayed a highly rated peace quotient in relating with the various publics that it interacts with, plays host to the permanent site of the University of Uyo, the Uyo FM of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), farm unit of the Ministry of Agriculture amongst others, expressed its joy, particularly since the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has been most reliable in power generation and supply.

Fabian Ekpenyong, the vice chairman of Uyo Local Government council informed Daily Independent "the NDDC is working hard, and we must commend it. If they have done the much, they have done so far despite the paucity of funds that we all know of, what will happen if the federal government releases the over N 320 Billion it is owing the agency?"

In Etinan, Mr. Aka-Ubo Afia, a political scientist, public affairs commentator, and councillor of the local government council, observed that, "this is the very first time that such regional intervention body has stamped and registered its signature in Akwa Ibom. The others were mere agencies that promoted extreme wealth and poverty within the same continuum. But now, I think that those dark days are over. I must here and now, commend Ambassador Edem who has provided light of service for people to follow."

Fabian Ekpenyong the Uyo local council official believes while the NDDC undertakes physical development of facilities in the communities; it must not forget to add the human component of developing a large human resource base of building human capital. "Training youths in areas where their skills will be in high demand are necessary. Let the NDDC play a complementary role of helping youths to build their cognate capacities ahead of the opening of the Ibom International Airport. Trainings could be in the area of aeronautics engineering and such areas that will help our youths to become more useful in emerging areas of technology."

Bassey Dan-Abia, Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the NDDC has argued that physical projects actually shows how much the commission is working than putting money in projects that appear to be virtual realities. He emphasised that the agency will continue to put physical infrastructures in place to improve on the living condition of the people in the various communities of the state.