The Senate has okayed a budget of over one trillion naira for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the fiscal years 2021 and 2022.
The total amount approved for the commission was about N1,413,991,634,495.65, with N485,794,575,131 approved for 2021 and N928,297,049,364.65 approved for 2022.
The passage of the budget followed a report presented by the Senate Ad hoc Committee on NDDC, which was constituted to review the expenditures of the commission in 2021 and 2022.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Yusuf, complained that the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Finance did not provide details of revenue and expenditures for the commission in 2021, 2022, and the first quarter of 2023.
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Yusuf expressed its disappointment over the refusal of the authorities to provide the necessary information.
According to him, without the information, it was impossible to determine if the funds expended by the NDDC management followed financial regulations and bidding thresholds.
On his part, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan condemned the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General of the Federation for their refusal to provide the necessary documents to the ad hoc committee as the 9th senate term comes to an end on 11 June 2023.
The ad hoc committee recommended:
-That the Senate should direct its committee on Niger Delta Affairs to resolve the crisis between the NDDC Board and its management to ensure that the commission is legally compliant in all processes and focus on achieving its mandate
-That the Senate mandates its committee on Niger Delta Affairs to wade in and resolves the obvious trust deficit between the NDDC Board and its management to ensure that the commission is legally compliant in all processes and focuses on achieving its mandate.
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-That the Adhoc Committee notes that without approval and regularising the 2021 and 2022 budget estimates, the Commission cannot operate the already approved Appropriation of the 2023 budget estimates as required by the provisions of the Public Procurement Act requiring the approval and performance of the previous years; and
-That in view of NDDC not meeting its contractual obligations which are liable to preponderance of litigation and considering the fate of about 40 million people in the Niger Delta region, the Adhoc Committee hereby urges that the Senate do consider and approve the 2021 and 2022 budget proposals of the Niger Delta Development Commission as recommended by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, earlier considered at the plenary and referred to this Adhoc Committee to investigate, and for further legislative action.
