A bill seeking to include Anambra among States in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was turned down on Wednesday by the Senate.
The bill was presented as: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act to make provision for the inclusion of Anambra State as one of the member states and for other connected matters thereto, 2024.” was sponsored by Senator Tony Nwoye of Anambra state.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Tony Nwoye of representing Anambra, observed that Anambra State should be accorded membership of NDDC States, because the state had been collecting 13 per cent derivation since 2021 on account of oil production in the state on yearly basis.
But, the bill suffered a setback when some senators opposed it, arguing that states like Kogi and Lagos are not covered by NDDC operations notwithstanding being oil-producing States.
Senator Jibrin Isah emphasized that NDDC by its name, potrays a regional intervention body and not just an amalgam of oil producing states.
The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Nwoye explained that, “Mr President and distinguished colleagues, Anambra as an oil producing state has been collecting 13% derivation from oil exploited from her wells by the federal government since 2021 and eminently deserves to be included in the operational radius of NDDC.
“Kogi State was also declared as an oil producing state but has not been collecting any 13% derivation.”
His argument was opposed by Sen. Isah who said that Senator Nwoye should limit his argument to Anambra State and allow the Senate decide.
Isah cautioned Sen. Nwoye to refrain from dragging Kogi State into an argument for membership of Anambra State in NDDC.
He said that Kogi State remains an oil producing State which has been collecting 13% derivation since October 2022.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio intervened by saying that if the argument of Senator Nwoye on proposed membership of Anambra State in NDDC was to be accepted by the Senate, then Lagos State with its two oil wells in Badagry, would also advocate for membership of the commission.
Akpabio added that if NDDC is considered to be a geographical or regional interventionist body, Anambra State is qualified to be a member on account of its proximity to Niger Delta area. But the Senate President submitted that the National Boundary Commission should be allowed to decide the matter.
When the was put to voice vote, majority of the senators at plenary voted against the bill and was thrown away.
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