House of Representatives has mandated the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to put on hold the release of N15 billion counterpart funding requested by the federal government, pending the approval of the commission’s budget by the House.
This resolution followed the adoption of an urgent public importance motion moved by Uyime Idem (PDP, Akwa Ibom).
Idem disclosed that the federal government sent a special request mandating the ministry of Niger Delta to jointly finance an intervention and humanitarian programme of sums running into several billions of Naira using the money recovered for the commission by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), without budgetary provision.
He said that such request for intervention and humanitarian proposals by the federal government without requisite financial appropriation and approval by this honourable house is illegal and a breach of the Appropriation Act.
The house expressed concern that the commission had operated without an approved budget in the last three years, which is contrary to its establishment.
Idem in the debate accused the commission of spending public funds since 2021 without budgetary approval by the national assembly, adding that the 2021, 2022 and 2023 budgets of the commission were yet to be approved by the parliament.
While stressing the need to find out where the commission has been getting money for its operations since 2021 since its budget has not been approved by the national assembly, he averred that spending such public funds without approval was an illegality that should not be allowed.
He argued that the ministry of Niger Delta was inaugurated and commissioned by the presidency to attend to the intervention and humanitarian needs of the Niger Delta region of the country and promote the physical development of the Niger Delta region.
According to him, since its inauguration, the Ministry of Niger Delta has executed fundamental and important humanitarian intervention projects across the region.
He said further that part of the fund available for use by the commission is money recovered on its behalf by EFCC and given to the commission, to ease the implementation and its financial obligations.
While expressing his view, deputy minority leader of the house, Hon Toby Okechukwu said even though the N15 billion being sought was for flood control, it should be put on hold while the house investigate where the commission has been getting the money it has been spending since its budget for three years has not been approved.
To this end, the house mandated its committee on NDDC to scrutinise the federal government’s request through the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and report back to the house for further legislative action.
