By Ovat Abeng
The bill to amend the Act of the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to enable the inclusion of Anambra among the list of oil producing states scaled first reading at the Senate.
The proposed enactment sponsored by Anambra North Senator, Dr.Tony Nwoye is aimed at amending Section 2(1)(b) of the NDDC Establishment ACT CAP N 86 LFN 2004 which would enable the commission to enlist the South-Eastern State among its list of oil producing states.
Mr. Paschal Candle, the media aide to Senator Nwoye, who disclosed this in a statement, in Awka on Tuesday, said two years ago the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) granted its approval for Anambra to join the list of oil producing states.
“According to RMAFC it attributed 11 oil wells to the state and declared that henceforth Anambra will be eligible to benefit from the 13 per cent derivation fund, which minerals-producing states in Nigeria are statutorily entitled to.
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“However, despite this the NDDC are yet to accord the state such status and Anambra State is yet to start benefiting from those privileges attributed to NDDC States.
“At the last plenary of the Senate Presided by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Nwoye’s Bill was introduced by the Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and passed first reading after its short title was read by the Senate clerk Senate clerk, Barrister Chinedu Akubueze.
“Currently the 2000 Act establishing the NDDC recognises nine states as oil producing they are;Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
“Recently it was reported that the Nation’s mainstay has been found in other parts of the country including Anambra which is said to be already producing 0.9%.
“It will be recalled that Senator Tony Nwoye while in the House of Representatives sponsored a Bill on the Need to declare Anambra, Kogi, Enugu and Anambra States as Oil Producing States. After the Bill was passed by the 8th House of Representatives and concurred by the 8th Senate, Anambra was declared as Oil Producing State, later Kogi State.
This great move is another milestone in brining Anambra State into the NDDC Commission.