Senate halts move to include Anambra in NDDC

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill seeking to include Anambra State as one of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission (NDDC) states.

The bill was sponsored by Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North).

NDDC comprises nine oil-producing states. They are Abia and Imo in South-east, Ondo in South-west, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers in South-south geo-political zone.

The bill did not scale through second reading as it was rejected by majority of the senators during debate.

Leading debate on the bill, Mr Nwoye, argued that Anambra deserved membership of NDDC since it has been collecting 13 per cent derivation since 2021 on account of appreciable volume of oil production on yearly basis.

He said apart from 13 per cent derivation, Anambra is qualified to be a member of the NDDC because of its proximity to the Niger Delta area.

“Mr President and distinguished colleagues, Anambra as an oil producing state has been collecting 13 per cent 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 per cent derivation,” Mr Nwoye said.

Most of the senators who contributed to the bill kicked against it on the ground that the move is political and that there are some oil producing states that are also not recognised as members of the NDDC.

Kogi East senator, Jibrin Isah, specifically argued that NDDC is more of a regional intervention body and not just for oil producing states.

The lawmaker noted that Kogi had also been collecting 13 per cent derivation as an oil producing state but did not agitate to be a member of the NDDC.

Senator Nwoye, with all due respect, please stop dragging Kogi State into your argument for membership of Anambra State in NDDC. Kogi State is an oil producing State and has also been collecting 13 per cent derivation since October 2022,” Mr Isah said.

In his intervention, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the stepping down of the bill, stating that the National Boundary Commission would decide whether Anambra is close to the Niger Delta area before the lawmakers will decide on it.

He, however, noted that said if membership of Anambra in NDDC is to be accepted, then Lagos which has two oil wells in Badagry will also clamour for membership of the commission.

Mr Akpabio then announced the rejection of the bill by the senators who spoke, on the ground that Lagos and Kogi states are also not covered by NDDC operations despite being oil producing states.