South-South Senators Reject Moves to include Lagos, Ogun, Bauchi in NDDC

• Senators from the south-south zone of the country are not in support of the recent moves by the senate to include Lagos and some states in the country into the NDDC
• The Niger Delta Senators on Wednesday, November 10 protest against the plan, during the consideration process of a Bill for an Act to amend the NDDC Act
• Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo- Agege explained the idea behind the formation of the NDDC

Abuja- Senators from the South-South geo-political zone have opposed moves by the Senate to include Lagos, Ogun, Bauchi and others that have attained the status of oil-producing states into Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Vanguard reports that the Senators raised the objection, on Wednesday, November 10, during the consideration of a Bill for an Act to amend the NDDC Act sponsored by Senator Olamilekan Adeola All Progressives Congress (APC, Lagos West).

Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo- Agege (APC, Delta Central), Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South) and George Sekibo(PDP, Rivers East) lampooned the move, just as Omo-Agege described Adeola as a classic meddlesome interloper and advised him and his cohorts to intensify efforts for the creation of South West Development Commission.

According to Omo-Agege, Urhoghide and Sekibo, NDDC was created to address the environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the region.

They asked Adeola to pursue the establishment of a commission to address developmental issues in the South-West instead of seeking to make Lagos and other members of NDDC.

The Punch reports that the lawmakers maintained that the NDDC was created to address environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta region.

The bill, nevertheless, scaled second reading Omo-Agege, on his part, faulted the idea behind the bill, describing the sponsor as a meddlesome interloper.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, then referred the bill to Peter Nwaoboshi (APC, Delta North) for further legislative action and report back at plenary in four weeks.

The bill, sponsored by Adeola seeks the inclusion of Lagos, Ogun, Bauchi and others that have attained the status of oil-producing states into NDDC.

The nine states captured in the NDDC Act are Cross River, Edo, Delta, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Ondo.

The Debate on the Bill

In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill, Adeola noted:

“Following the discovery of oil in Bauchi, Lagos and Ogun, these states have officially joined the league of oil producing states in Nigeria following the discovery of crude oil in Alkaleri LGA, Bauchi; Badagry, Lagos, and Ipokia, Ogun State.

“By virtue of this, the states are entitled to the 13 per cent derivation that is due to oil producing states, according to the provision of Section 162 Sub-Section 2 of the Nigerian constitution.”

In his contribution, Urhoghide said:

“I am not particularly against the sponsor of this bill. I just believe that the bill should be properly posited. Today, what each state gets from the 13 per cent derivation is a function of production.

“Today, Gombe is fast becoming a host community, Bauchi and some other states. But to say these states belong to Niger Delta is not possible.

“If the idea is you want to share out of the 13 per cent derivation, they are at will as long as they produce oil but to say they must belong to Niger Delta, it makes mockery of the idea in the creation of NDDC.”

Senator Omo-Agege position

“We look forward to the day when indeed all states in Nigeria will not only produce oil but produce one form of mineral resource or the other.

“What this lead debate clearly shows is that my colleague from Lagos is a classic meddlesome interloper. The NDDC is a regional development commission. We must draw a distinction between the NDDC and the oil and mineral producing commission.”

Senate moves against public servants with unexplained sources of wealth

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that lawmakers of the Ninth Senate on Tuesday, November 10, considered two bills seeking to facilitate the swift prosecution of money launderers and terrorist financiers.

A statement by Ezrel Tabiowo, a special assistant, press to the Senate president, said the bills once passed into law would provide the framework required for the prosecution of public servants who cannot explain the source of their wealth.

The two bills being sought by the Senate are the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2021, and Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2021.

Source: Legit.ng