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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has directed the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) to put on hold the release of N15 billion counterpart funding requested by the Federal Government for flood control programme.
It also mandated its committee on NDDC to scrutinise the Federal Government’s request to the interventionist agency and report back to it in two weeks.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Unyime Idem calling on the House to direct the NDDC to put on hold the release of N15 billion requested by the government as counterpart funding for “humanitarian intervention.”
Idem, in his lead debate, informed the House 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 by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) without budgetary provision.”
Nevertheless, the lawmaker argued that the NDDC at the moment has no approved budget, as its 2021, 2022 and 2023 budget estimates are before the House for approval.
“We are aware that NDDC for the last three years does not have a functional budget. The budget of 2021, 2022 and 2023 is before this House for approval. I believe it is the duty of this house to call NDDC to order. To be patient and wait until when this budget is laid and approved, before they can spend. If they go ahead and spend it will amount to a breach of appropriation act.”
Idem expressed concerns 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.”
Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, wondered how a government agency can be operating for three years without an approved budget.
Okechukwu said it was curious that the 2021,2022 and 2023 budget of NDDC has not been approved.
“The issue is how have thy bern operating. The committee should find out how an agency of government could be functioning without budgetary approval for three years. It means they are getting oxygen from somewhere.”
