Senate yesterday considered the bill for an act to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) “so as to remove obvious impediments, particularly in the area of funding and reposition the commission to carry out its mandate effectively”.
This followed the adoption of a report on the bill by the Committee on Niger Delta, chaired by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP Delta North) and 18 others.
It will be recalled that the bill was read for the first time on July 26, 2017 while senators deliberated on its general principles on July 27 and thereafter read for the second time and referred to the committee for further legislative action.
Presenting the report, Nwaoboshi said “the main objective of the bill is to clarify certain provisions in the Principal Act and to provide for prompt remittance of funds due to the Niger Delta Development Commission, as well as penalties for delay or default.”
The upper legislative chamber maintained that, in order to reposition the interventionist agency for more effective service delivery to the Niger Delta region, it has become necessary to review the Principal Act in order to rid its provisions of ambiguities.
It added that “it is imperative to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc.) Act 2000 so as to remove obvious impediments, particularly, in the area of funding and reposition the commission to carry out its mandate effectively”
The red chamber observed that the NDDC Act, 2000 has been in operation for 17 years and has never been reviewed, adding that the amendment was in consonance with the observations of senators while considering the confirmation of presidential nominees for the governing board of the NDDC and debate on the general principles of the bill.
The Senate had on October 11, 2016, while considering the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of chairman and members of NDDC, found that some of the provisions in the Act establishing the commission were ambiguous.
