The Senate was thrown into a rowdy session on Wednesday following the rejection of the move to include Anambra State as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The rejection led to bickering between Senator Tony Nwoye and Senator Jibrin Isah, popularly known as Echocho.
Senator Nwoye had in his lead debate on the bill seeking for amendment of the NDDC Act for inclusion of Anambra State, being an oil producing State, argued that the state deserved membership of the NDDC since it has been collecting 13 percent derivation since 2021 on account of appreciable volume of oil production on yearly basis.
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But most of the Senators who made contributions to the debate on the bill, which Nwoye spiritedly sought to be passed into second reading, kicked against his argument on the grounds that States like Kogi and Lagos are not covered by NDDC operations despite being oil producing states.
Specifically, Senator Isah said the NDDC by its name is more of a regional or geographical intervention body and not just for oil producing states.
He said his state, Kogi, has also been collecting 13 percent derivation as an oil producing state, a claim Senator Nwoye vociferously countered by repeatedly declaring with relevant documents in his hand that Anambra and not Kogi has been collecting 13 percent derivation.
Nwoye said: “Mr. President and distinguished colleagues, Anambra as an oil producing state has been collecting 13 percent derivation from oil exploited from her wells by the Federal Government since 2021 and eminently deserves to be included in the operational radius of NDDC.
“Kogi State was also declared as an oil producing state, but has not been collecting any 13 percent derivation.”
Irked by the submission, Senator Isah furiously took to the floor by admonishing Senator Nwoye to limit his argument to Anambra State and allow the Senate to decide the fate of his bill.
He said: “Senator Nwoye, with all due respect, please stop dragging Kogi State into your argument for membership of Anambra State in NDDC.
“Kogi State is an oil producing State and has also been collecting 13 percent derivation since October 2022.”
In a tension dousing move, the President of the State, Godswill Akpabio, said if the argument of Senator Nwoye on proposed membership of Anambra State in the NDDC is to be accepted by the Senate, then Lagos State, which has two oil wells in Badagry, will also clamour for membership of the commission.
On submissions made by Senator Nwoye that even if NDDC is considered to be a geographical or regional interventionist body, Anambra State qualifies to be a member on account of its proximity to the Niger Delta, Akpabio said the National boundary Commission would decide that.
He accordingly put passage of the bill for second reading to voice votes, with nays from Senators against it overwhelming those in favour of it.
