NDDC Senate Committee flays FG’s Alleged N1tr Unpaid Debt

The Senator representing Delta Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has flayed the Federal Government’s alleged unpaid N1trillion debt, adding for the past 17 years, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) has not paid a dime to the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Senator Nwaoboshi who also is the Senate Committee Chairman on NDDC told journalists in Asaba Friday, that the “NDDC does not even know the annual budget of the oil companies, so when we came on, we invited all the oil companies, and the issue of whether it is annual budget or the real budget came up, and we read the law to them, that is the annual budget, but where is the annual budget of the oil companies? Alleging that NDDC does not have it as the oil only relates with the committee on what they feel is convenient for them.

He said that the bill which he sponsored and which was subsequently signed into law in 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari, would address some “grey areas” hitherto denied the NDDC adequate funds, adding that the Federal Government had allegedly shown no concern in major issues unsettling the commission.

While calling on the people of the Niger-Delta region to support the development drive being attracted to the region, Senator Nwaoboshi disclosed that NDDC must be allowed to concentrate on its core mandate, and not get distracted by delving into areas it was not designed to operate, adding: “we keep on saying that Niger-Delta is not being developed, we should also show some seriousness, and willingness as the people of the Niger-Delta to the development of that area”.

Senator Nwaoboshi explained that the supports from his colleagues, irrespective of tribal learning, made it possible for the NDDC amended Act to scale through, and commended the Senators for their supports.

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba