A bill to designate Anambra State as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC threw the Senate into rancour on Wednesday as members of the upper Chambers shared divergent opinions on the second reading of the bill.
The bill which failed to pass second reading after the Lawmakers voted against its passage was sponsored by Senator Tony Nwoye, Anambra North, seeking inclusion of Anambra State through amendment of the NDDC Act N86 LFN 2004 that established the commission.
Armed with documents from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC Nwoye informed the Senate that Anambra State has satisfied the requirements for recognition as oil producing state saying that the the the Revenue mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission had at its 139th Plenary Session held on 27th July 2021 approved the attribution of the following 14 oil Wells to the State.
He listed the oil Wells as ; Nzam 1 oil well, Anambra 1,2,3 oil wells (Straddied), Ogbu-1 oil well, Alo-1 oil well (straddled), Amesi 1, 2, 3,4 oil wells, Enyie 1, 2, 3, 4 oil wells.
Attempting to convince his colleagues to support the bill, Nwoye told the Senators that it has officially started receiving its share of 13% mineral derivation revenue from November 2021 till date.
Chaos ensued after Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked Senator Tony Nwoye to choose between stepping down the bill for further consultations or subject it to the voice votes of the Senators.
Akpabio who was the first to make contributions to the bill picked loopholes in the bill explaining that the current nine member states of Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers of the NDDC were included as a result of their geographical location within the Niger Delta which Anambra State is not part of.
According to him, if Anambra State is to be included it means that other oil producing states such as Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Bauchi , will also be included in the NDDC and identified as Niger Delta States.
Akpabio’s position received the support of Senators; Seraike Dickson, Isah Jibrin, Olamilekan Solomon, Eshilokun amongst others while Senators ; Adams Oshiomhole and few others backed the bill.
Responding to the Akpabio, Sponsor of the bill Tony Nwoye accused Senator Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) of lying before the Senate by saying that Kogi State has started receiving oil derivation since 2022.
“Mr. Senate President, I have the record that Anambra State has started receiving 13 % derivation since November 2021 and as of today Kogi State is not receiving a dime from the Federal Government. He mentioned Kogi and he was trying to misinform the Senate, Nwoye roared.
Jibrin fired back admonishing the Anambra lawmaker to limit his argument to his state, saying, “Kogi has started receiving oil derivation since 2022.”
“With due respect Mr. Nwoye I want to limit yourself to your presentation and your state. What happens in Kogi State is not your business. I am telling you that the information getting to me shows that Kogi is getting 13%, Isah stood his ground.
As the arguments ensued Senate President Akpabio urged Tony Nwoye not to rely on the letter he received from the RMAFC saying that the letter only provided clarifications on the 13 percent derivation of Anambra and not Kogi.
Reacting, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, suggested an amendment that would have accommodated other states, since Kogi is now an oil producing state, and other states that may have oil in future.
Akpabio maintained that there is no need for the bill since Anambra was already receiving its 13 percent derivation from the Federation Government and the state is also receiving funds being a member of the host communities as provided in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act bill.
According to Akpabio the mangrove swamp forests made it possible for states like Imo, Abia and Ondo to be included into the Niger Delta and subsequently the NDDC. He stressed that if Anambra is to be added oil producing states like Kogi, Zamfara, Bauchi will also be added.
Reacting, Nwoye refused to withdraw the bill, he explained that oil wells in Ogbaru community in Anambra are located within the same geographical location as Ndoni community of Rivers States as such Anambra should be included in the NDDC.
