Senate insists only confirmed board can defend NDDC budget

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday insisted that only the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as confirmed by it can the defend the 2019 and 2020 budget of the commission President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded to it.

The lawmakers also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, swear in the Dr. Pius Odubu led NDDC Board.

The list of nominees sent by President Buhari were confirmed by the Senate in the first week of November, but are yet to be sworn in by the president.

President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, speaking shortly after reading the letter of President Muhammadu Buhari on the 2019 and 2020 budget estimates of NDDC, said that the onus was now on the President to do the needful by inaugurating the Dr. Pius Odubu led NDDC following the confirmation by the Upper Chamber in consonnance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The President of the Senate said: ” I believe that the executive arm of government will attend to that quickly so that we have the right people to come and defend the Appropriation request of Mr. President.”

The Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had raised a point of Order 43 of the Senate Standing Orders as Amended, after the Senate President read the letter from President Buhari.

The lawmakere reminded the Senate that members of the board of the NDDC were confirmed and yet to resume, warning that the Commission may run into a problem of delayed budget again against the backdrop that nobody will come to defend the budget.

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Abaribe also drew the attention of his colleagues to the fact that members of the NDDC board duly confirmed by the Senate were yet to resume official duty, adding that the failure of the executive to swear-in members of the board duly confirmed by the Senate sequel to a request from President Buhari, may threaten early consideration and quick passage of the 2019/2020 budget of the NDDC.

Abaribe also described the Interim Committee of the NDDC, led by Joy Nunieh, is an “illegal contraption” that lacks the backing of law to defend the commission’s budget.

He said: “We just heard from you (Senate President) the communication from Mr President which relates to the presentation of the NDDC’s Budget for approval.

“Of course, what it will mean is that the budget will go to the relevant committee of Appropriation and the NDDC Committee and some persons will come to defend the budget.

“Having regard to the fact that this Senate has confirmed members of the board of the NDDC and they are yet to resume office, Mr. President I fear that we may run into a problem of delayed budget again since nobody will come to defend this budget.

“Because this August body having confirmed the board of NDDC, will not countenance any illegal contraption coming in front of us to say they are representing the NDDC.

“I know that this may be preemptive, but my people say that if we act quick we will prevent disaster from coming.

“So, to prevent a delayed budget for the NDDC, that is helping the region for development, it would be better for us to prevent this issue from coming and let the needful be done.”

In response, Lawan, who sustained Abaribe’s point of Order, said: “Thank you Minority Leader but because you have come under order 43, this motion is not subject to debate but let me sustain your point of order.

“As far as we are concerned this Senate knows that we have confirmed the request of Mr. President for the board membership of the NDDC and we have communicated that and the next logical thing to do by law is for the appointments of the members of the board to take immediate effect.

“I believe that the executive arm of government will attend to that quickly so that we have the right people to come and defend the Appropriation request of Mr. President.”

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