The Senate has said it will not entertain what it described as illegal contraption from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) when it will be seeking clarification at the budget defence of the Commission.
The decision followed the Senate concern of a rival board outside the Dr Pius Odubu led Board screened and confirmed by the Senate three weeks ago to oversee the activities of the Commission.
Senate Minority leader raised the observation, through a point of order citing order 53 of the Senate Order 2015 as amended.
The order gives him the right to make a personal explanation on a matter not controversial and was sustained by the President of the Senate.
This followed the correspondence of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate and read at plenary, by the President of the Senate, Senator, Ahmad Lawan announcing the presentation of the NDDC 2020 budget to the Senate by the executive.
The letter reads in part: “Submission of 2019 and 2020 Budget Estimates of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC)
“Pursuant to Section 18(1) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) (Establishment) Act, I forward herewith, the 2019 and 2020 Budget Estimates of the Niger Delta Development Commission, for the kind consideration and passage by the Senate.
“While I trust that the Senate will consider this request in the usual expeditious manner, Please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
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Raising the concern in the Senate, the Minority leader, Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe stated that there would be a delay in the passage of the NDDC budget in spite of the fact that it was submitted early.
He argued that this could be because of the expired but insistent rival board that may want to lay claim to being the NDDC board and seek to defend the budget as against legitimate board recognised by the law after the confirmation of the Senate.
His words: “Of course what it will mean is that the budget will go to the relevant committees of appropriation and the NDDCÂ for defence and somebody will come and defend the budget. With due regards to the fact that this Senate has confirmed members of the board of the NDDC and they are yet to resume office. I fear Mr. president, that we may run into a problem of delayed of this budget since nobody will come to defend this budget because this August body after it confirmed the board of the NDDC will not condone any illegal contraption coming in front of us to say that they are representing NDDC.
“It may be pre-emptive but our people say that if act fast, we prevent disaster from coming. So to prevent a disaster from the delay of the NDDC that is helping Nigeria and our revenue and the development of the region, let us let the needful be done.”
Sustaining the point of order by the Minority leader, the President of the Senate said: “This matter is not subject of debate, however, your motion is sustained. For the first time as far as I can remember we are receiving the budget for the NDDC for 2020 which is that for the next year at the right time.
“This is the first time, and it is a good sign that we are operating on the same frequency when it comes to matters of the budget that we are in a hurry to deal with matters of the budget because these are issues that focus on the development of the country.
“Having said this as far as we are concerned this Senate knows that we have confirmed the board members of the NDDC and we have communicated that.
“The next logical thing to do by law is for the appointments of the members of the board to take immediate effect. I believe that the executive arm of government would work with that quickly so that we can have the right people to come and defend the appropriation request of the President,” he said
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