The bill to amend the Niger-Delta Development Commission Act to include Anambra State among the list of oil producing states has scaled first reading at the Nigerian Senate.
Sponsored by Anambra North Senator, Tony Nwoye, the proposed enactment aims to amend Section 2(1)(b) of the NDDC Establishment ACT CAP N 86 LFN 2004, in the process enabling the commission to enlist the Anambra among its list of oil producing states.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had in 2021 granted its approval for Anambra to join the list of oil producing states as it says 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.
But despite RMAFC stance, the NDDC are yet to accord the state such status.
Nwoye’s Bill was introduced by the Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele at the last plenary of the Senate but passed first reading after its short title was read by the Senate clerk Senate clerk, Barrister Chinedu Akubueze.
An insight into the bill reveals that 2 Section 2(1)(b) of the Principal Act is amended by; (a) inserting the following as new subparagraph (iii) which reads: Amendment of section2 “(iii) Anambra State” and (b) renumbering the existing subparagraph (iii) – (ix) as Amendment of Section 2 subparagraph (iv) – (x).
Subsequently Amendment of Section 4 is repealed by (a) inserting the following as new paragraph ( c ): “(c) Anambra State”; and (b) renumbering the existing paragraphs (c) -(i) as paragraph (d)-(j).
Followed by the amendment of section 30 of the Commission’s Principal Act by word” Anambra” immediately after the word “Akwa-Ibom”.
The 2000 Act establishing the NDDC currently recognises nine states as oil producing.
The States are:
Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
