Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has described as “political gang up”, the move by the National Assembly to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission’s Act to pave way for Bauchi, Ogun and Lagos as oil producing states.
Recall that Senator Solomon Olamilekan had presented a Bill at the floor of the Chambers seeking to amend the NDDC Act 2000, with a view to accommodating Bauchi, Ogun and Lagos states in the sharing of the 13% (percent) derivation funds meant for oil producing states.
Anyanwu described such Bill as not only wicked, selfish and politically motivated, but a deliberate ploy by some cabals to reduce the funds that accrue to Niger Delta states for the upkeep of their polluted environments.
He therefore called on the sponsor of the Bill to instead of meddling into an existing Commission, he should draw the attention of his colleagues and President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to allow the immediate take-off of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and South West Development Commission (SWDC) respectively to function like the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
According to him, the two Commissions if allowed to operate are capable of pruning down the rate of unemployment menace, adding that such move will engage the teeming jobless youths within the regions to be self-reliant.