The plot by the senators especially those of the South-West geopolitical zone, was seriously rebuffed to the extent that the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, described the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West), as a meddlesome interloper.
The Bill for an Act to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the inclusion of new old producing areas and states (into NDDC) and other matters connected therewith, was sponsored by Senator Olamilekan.
The Bill which seeks to accommodate states that have attained the status of Oil Producing States into the NDDC was read for the first time in the Senate on Tuesday 17th December, 2019.
In his lead debate, Olamilekan said: “Following the discovery of Oil in Bauchi, Lagos and Ogun, these states have officially joined the League of Oil Producing States in Nigeria following the discovery of crude oil in Alkaleri Local Government, Bauchi; Badagry, Lagos, and Ipokia, Ogun state. By virtue of this, the states are entitled to the 13 percent derivation that is due to oil producing states according to the provision of Section 162 Sub-Section 2 of the Nigeria Constitution.
“The purpose of this Bill is for the Act to make provision for new states who has joined the leagues of Oil producing states in Nigeria and for states that might eventually discover oil in the future as opposed to the present position of the Act which only covers Oil producing states within the Niger Delta region. Furthermore, the inclusion of the new oil-producing states in the Act saves costs and follows precedence.
In conclusion, this amendment is to accord the same provisions of the law amongst other benefits accrued to oil producing states in Nigeria to the new oil producing states and future oil producing states,” Senator Adeola so submitted.
