South-South senators on Wednesday kicked against plot by their colleagues to include other regions in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The plot by the senators, especially those from South- West, was seriously rebuffed to the extent that the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, described the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West), as meddlesome interloper.
The Bill for an Act to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the inclusion of new old producing areas and states (into NDDC) and other matters connected therewith was sponsored by Senator Olamilekan.
The Bill which seeks to accommodate states that have attained the status of oil producing states into the NDDC was first read for the first time in the Senate on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
In his lead debate, Olamilekan said, “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 Local Government Area, Bauchi; Badagry, Lagos, and Ipokia, Ogun State. By virtue of this, the states are entitled to the 13 percent derivation that is due to oil producing states according to the provision of section 162 sub-section 2 of the Nigerian constitution.
“The purpose of this Bill is for the Act to make provision for new states who have joined the league of oil producing states in Nigeria and for states that might eventually discover oil in the future as opposed to the present position of the Act which only covers oil producing states within the Niger Delta region. Furthermore, the inclusion of the new oil producing states in the Act saves costs and follows precedence.
“In conclusion, this amendment is to accord the same provisions of the law among other benefits accrued to oil producing states in Nigeria to the new oil producing states and future oil producing states,” Senator Adeola so submitted.
The Niger Delta lawmakers have, however, kicked against this move to include these states.
Specifically, Omo-Agege described Senator Solomon Adeola as a meddlesome interloper, adding, “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.
“Dealing with the issue of 13 percent derivation. To us that is not an issue to the extent that they produce oil in commercial quantity and DPR so determines, that oil is been sold, and revenue is sent to the federation account. That is not the issue yet. The issue is whether or not just because they are oil producing they should come under NDDC, if you are looking for meddlesome interlopers, you don’t have to go far to find one.
“What this lead debate clearly shows is that my colleague from Lagos is a classic meddlesome interloper. The Niger Delta Development Commission is a regional development commission. We must draw a distinction between the NDDC and the oil and mineral producing commission.”
On his part, Senator Sekibo said, “I congratulate these states where my friend said they have discovered oil. What I don’t know is that whether the oil is in commercial quantity and they are drilling them out for sales and the money going to Nigerian coffers. That one, he has not expatiated on that one.
“Are they exploring oil, are they refining oil in these places and has the oil caused any devastation in that environment?
“The purpose of the NDDC is not just because they found oil there, it is because the place has been so devastated and there is a need to see how they can remedy the place and because that place is so backward.
“Each time there is a law to support a backward people, to support people who are suffering, Nigerians will come out after a couple of years to dampen the strength of that law.
“There is nothing wrong that they are given their 13 percent derivation, that is if funds from those oil are now in use.”
SenatorMatthewUhroghide, who said the Bill was wrongly presented and also reminded the sponsor that what constitutes the NDDC today is tied to its production capacity, added that “I am not particularly against the sponsor of this bill. I just believe that the bill should be properly posited.
“NDDC today is the area that constitutes Niger Delta. It is very clear. The nine states of the Niger Delta region are very clear.
“Today what each state gets from the 13 percent 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 the Niger Delta region is not possible.
“If the idea is you want to share out of the 13 percent 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.”
(Daily Independent)
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