Amid alleged discrepancy in NDDC budget, Senate pushes for increase in funding of Niger Delta Ministry

The Senate, on Thursday, argued for the need to increase the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

This argument was put forward on Thursday during plenary at the budget defence of the Ministry in Abuja when the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio appeared before the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs.

Akpabio explained that the budget of his ministry was conceived in line with the FGN 2022 Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability, which seeks to reposition the Nigerian economy on the path of growth and resilience.

Akpabio said, “A total budgetary proposal of the sum of N28,131,295,396 was allocated to the Ministry comprising Personnel N1,692,591,184, Overhead N877,089,120 and Capital N25,561,615,092.”

He also noted that ”the 2022 Budgetary allocation in the sum of N26,592,560,040 is however considered meagre and significantly inadequate in the face of the mandate and goals of the Ministry to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people. The impact of COVID-19 Pandemic has further necessitated the intervention of the Ministry to ameliorate the infrastructure and Human Capital Development of the people of the region.”

During the session, a member of the Committee, Senator James Manager remarked that the budget for 2021 and 2023 for the Niger Delta Ministry was too meagre to achieve anything meaningful in the region.

This was in reply to the appalling budget performance of the Ministry in 2021.

Read also: Group urges NASS to withhold 2020 NDDC Budget until govt dissolves interim committee

According to Senator Manager, it would be appropriate to ensure the sustainability of peace in the region and must be encouraged.

“The ministry’s budget is too small to sustain the current peace we are enjoying in the region. It is the zone that keeps the economy of this country moving. The Niger Delta Region is the most peaceful and to keep that peace, something drastic must be done for the budget of the Ministry.”

Another member of the panel, Senator George Thompson Sekibo fumed at some Federal roads being constructed which he claimed have no economic relevance.

“We know you as a former governor and former Minority Leader of the Senate and we believe you are capable of handling this East-West road. We cannot blame you for the present state of that road, but we have to do something about the budget of the Ministry.”

The position of the lawmakers came soon after a public advocacy group, BudgIT Foundation, criticised alleged discrepancies within the proposed 2022 budget due to the omission of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an interventionist agency under the Niger Delta Ministry.

The organisation in a statement issued recently by the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, Gabriel Okeowo, signed by the body’s Communication Associate, Iyanu Fatoba, noted that the omission of NDDC’s entire capital budget allocation from the proposed 2022 budget and public scrutiny is a source of concern.

He said that this was especially worrisome considering the scale of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds that has bedevilled the agency since its establishment.

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