Group Faults Inclusion Of Lagos State In Proposed Amendment of NDDC Act
By Udoyo Oyosongo
A group, the Niger Delta Civil Rights Movement (NDCRM) has faulted the proposed amendment of the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the National Assembly to include Lagos State amongst member states of the commission, describing the action as ‘unacceptable’.
According to the group, the proposed amendment if passed will negate the reasons for the establishment of the commission as an interventionist Federal Government board to look into and address the issue of underdevelopment of the Niger Delta region.
The Niger Delta Civil Rights Movement, in a statement issued on Monday by its national Coordinator, Comrade Melford Damunabo Esinte, said the reason given for this move to include Lagos State amongst NDDC member states clearly showed that it is an injustice to the core Niger Delta member states, with regards to the limited budgetary allocations accruing to the commission to meeting the development challenges of the interventionist agency.
According to the group, “If our memory is not failing us, the Niger Delta Development Commission was established as an interventionist Federal Government board to look into and address the issue of underdevelopment of the Niger Delta region as clearly stated in the NDDC Establishment Act and not oil producing areas or states’ development commission.’
“Lately, we have also discovered that even northern States of the federation now have their representatives in the commission’s board. In our opinion in view of the NDDC establishment act, this is a deviation from the reason(s) for the establishment of the NDDC and is an injustice to the core Niger Delta member states, with regards to the limited budgetary allocations accruing to the commission to meeting the development challenges of the interventionist agency.
“We call on opinion leaders, traditional rulers, NGOs and governments of the various Niger Delta states to come together and form a common front to oppose this injustice. Lagos State like other states included into the Niger Delta Development Commission’ member states is not a Niger Delta State and I cannot comprehend what the initiators of this ill-conceived move are trying to achieve.
“NDDC is not OMPADEC. The internally generated revenue alone of Lagos state is enough to fund some states of the federation, this is in addition to the monthly federal allocations accruing to the state.”
“We cannot comprehend why they want to be a member state of the Niger Delta Development Commission to share from its limited budgetary allocations aimed at meeting the development challenges of the Niger Delta region. This is unacceptable.”
“We are looking forward to seeing members of the National Assembly from the various Niger Delta states oppose this move, ensuring that this bill before the National Assembly to amend the NDDC establishment act dies a natural death,” the statement read
