The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Joi Nunieh says the Commission will adopt Miss United Nations World as a role model and the face of its social campaigns, especially its Charity Begins at Home programme.
Nunieh, who spoke when Miss United Nations World, Hadassah Allaputa, paid her a courtesy visit at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, said she was “very proud to adopt her as a daughter and a role model.”
On hand to receive Allaputa were the NDDC Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang; the Director Project Monitoring and Supervision, Engr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua; the Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Mr Peter Edieya and other directors.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said that it was necessary to engage the Miss UN World to drive the campaign for a better Niger Delta region, considering the lofty goals which the she had set for herself with regards to contributing to the achievement of some of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Nunieh said: “As Miss United Nations, we want you to join us in promoting family values. We want to encourage young girls who had made mistakes in the past to understand that they should give themselves a second chance.
“We need you to help with the campaign to get our girls on the right path. We need to tell the girls the disadvantages of being single mothers as young girls.”
She advised the Miss United Nations World to wear her crown well with dignity, noting: “You are in a better position because you speak from experience, you are going to be our role model because you are a success story.”
Nunieh remarked that some prevalent ailments in the Niger Delta region existed as a result of hydrocarbon contamination, resulting from oil exploration and exploitation activities. According to her, the situation had been worsened by the activities of youths who are engaged in illegal refining of crude oil.
She added: “The soot that is polluting the air in Rivers State is affecting the lungs of our people. We are trying to carry out an epidemiological study to determine what ails us and how to address the challenges. We keep blaming the multinationals but we are part of the problem.”
Earlier in her remarks, Miss United Nations World, said she was reaching out to the unmarried teenage mothers and young girls in rural communities.
Allaputa observed: “I am here to let every girl children know that they can navigate themselves back to a life of purpose. I am trying to work on sustainable development projects, such as the Queens Academy to train people for beauty pageants. It is a call to responsibility and I solicit the support of NDDC to achieve these goals.”