Facts emerged on Monday at the ongoing National Conference that the Federal Government has refused to make its own contribution to the Niger Delta Development Commission over the years.
The sum being owed by the Federal Government has been put at over N1 trillion.
This was disclosed on Monday while the delegates were speaking on the report of the Conference Committee on Power Devolution.
The fact came out from a point of order raised by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who informed the Conference that the Federal Government is still owing the NDDC over N1 trillion up till now.
Falana added that by virtue of Section 14 of the NDDC Act, the Federal Government ought to pay 15 per cent out of the federal budget to the commission.
According to him, the NDDC Act 2000 requires the Federal Government to contribute 15 per cent of the monthly statutory allocation of the federation to the nine NDDC member states.
He also added that the Federal Government is also still owing the Niger Delta region about $1 billion as a result of the recommendation of NEPU, a body under the United Nations, which said the money should be made available to clean up areas affected by oil spillage.
Falana urged on the Conference to ask the Federal Government to pay money owed the NDDC.
Although a report put the debt of the Federal Government to the NDDC at about N600 billion, Falana said it was over N1 trillion.
Speaking earlier on the NDDC, Sergeant Awuse informed the Conference that the Federal Government is not contributing anything to the commission.
Awuse said the NDDC is sustained by the contribution of oil companies in the Niger Delta.
But a former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Hon. Sumaila Kumaili, countered Awuse.
Kumaili said when he was in the House of Representatives, 10 per cent was unanimously approved by the National Assembly for the NDDC from the national budget.
However, Chief Edwin Clark said there was an agreement by the National Assembly to pay 10 per cent to the NDDC.
Clear, however, said up till now the Federal Government has contributed nothing to the NDDC.
He put the figure of indebtedness at over N600 billion.
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