- Ask President Buhari To Inaugurate New Board
The Niger Delta Accountability Network (NDAN) has commended the decision of the Senate to demand the inauguration of the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) before the consideration of the commission’s 2019/2020 budget.
In a press statement signed by its President, Hon. Patrick Funkekeme and General Secretary, Comrade Richard Irabor, the group described the Senate’s decision as a “bold move for the re-establishment of order and due process.”
It added that the decision of the Senate has reinforced its faith in the capacity of the 9th National Assembly to provide credible oversight while cooperating with the executive branch, and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “reciprocate the Senate’s goodwill by directing the newly-confirmed board to resume who immediately.”
The NDAN said that by insisting on the board confirmed by it, the Senate has proven to be a “dependable ally of the people”, adding that “the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has shown that it is a law-abiding institution and credible ally of the people with its decision to follow the law on the defence of the NDDC budget.”
“We are encouraged that Mr President as a firm believer in law and due process will not allow the illegal interim management committee continue to distort the operations of the NDDC”, the group said.
It would be recalled that at plenary on Tuesday, after the Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan had read out a letter from the President presenting the NDDC 2019/2020 budget for consideration, Senate Minority Leader Dr. Enyinnaya Abaribe drew the attention of members to the fact that the board, which was confirmed on November 5, had not been inaugurated; rather, the NDDC was still being run by an interim committee, which was hastily put together by the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
He made it clear that the NDDC Act does not provide for an interim management and it would be unlawful for people not known to the law to defend its budget proposals.
Senate President Lawan agreed with Abaribe and asked that the newly-confirmed board defends the budget before the NDDC Committee.
The Senate President repeated the decision of the Senate on Thursday when he directed the Senate Committee on NDDC to ensure that only the duly confirmed board members are invited to defend the budget.
In his words, “This budget is hereby referred to the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs. You are to report back in two weeks. Let me state that the Committee should only deal with board members confirmed by the Senate”, the Senate President ordered.
Also, while commending the Senate’s action, the Ijaw Youth Council led by Barrister Eric Omare said that it was in consonance with the provisions of the NDDC Act, which states that the governing board shall be responsible for preparing the commission’s budget.
“The Senate has by this decision once again demonstrated its capacity to defend the rule of law and democracy in Nigeria. We also commend the Senate for always standing on the side of the oppressed people Niger Delta region. It would be recalled that when the NDDC Act was passed in the year 2000, the then President Obasanjo refused to assent to the bill as passed by the National Assemnly because of the funding provisions.
“The National Assembly led by the charismatic Dr. Chuba Okadigbo as Senate President and Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abah as Speaker of the House of Representatives stood on the side of the people of the Niger Delta region and vetoed the presidential assent and passed the NDDC Act into law and established the NDDC.
“In effect the NDDC is a baby of the National Assembly and we are glad that the present National Assembly lived to the expectation of the people of the Niger Delta region by coming out to defend the survival of the NDDC,” it said.
The group asked the House of Representatives to take a cue from the Senate action by stopping the Interim Management Committee appointed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from defending the 2019/2030 budget.
“Consequently, we call on the House of Representatives to follow the lead that has been provided by the Senate and also bar the illegal IMC from coming to defend the 2019/2020 NDDC. We further call on the National Assembly to probe the expenditures of the illegal Interim Management Committee and sanction those culpable for spending money from the funds of federal government without parliamentary authorization.”
