The senate has set aside a Bill to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission Act to include Anambra State as one of the member states.
Senator Andy Uba, who presented the Bill, recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had during one of his visits to the state conferred the status of oil-producing state on Anambra State following the discovery of crude oil in the state.
According to Uba, the listing of Anambra State among oil-producing states would abate misunderstanding that could come from the exploration of the substance.
“It would also be used as template to guide against arbitrariness of oil companies that might do business in the locality,” he said.
Opposing the Bill, Senator Ahmed Lawal (APC-Yobe) said that the area where the discovery was made still remained in dispute.
According to Lawal: “I stand to opposed this bill because it is hasty and not proper.”
He said that Kogi and Enugu States were contesting ownership of the area where the oil deposit was located.
Agreeing with Lawal, Senator Attahiru Ali (PDP-Kogi) reminded his colleagues that a Presidential Committee on the issue, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, was yet to submit its final report.
Ali said: “Until the matter is resolved, the states involved must maintain decorum in order not to spark off another round of violent clashes between the communities.”
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) cautioned that the Senate should not involve itself in the technical part of the controversy.
Ningi said: “The presidential committee should be allowed to do its job.
“The committee is set up to carry out scientific analysis of the area with the view to apportioning the area to the right owner.
“So this Bill is therefore hasty.”
On his part, Senator Ayogu Eze said that the dispute had generated enormous acrimonies between communities in the area.
Eze said: “The host communities could be found in the three states of Anambra, Enugu and Kogi.
“If the deposit is Anambra, the drilling goes through Kogi and Enugu.
“Only mutual understanding can solve the problem.
“This Bill that seeks to cede the region to only Anambra is hasty and inappropriate.”
The Legislatives Houses (Power and Privileges Act Cap L12, 2011 Bill 2014) has passed through first reading.
Also at the plenary, the Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions laid its report on the screening of Joseph Nnanna as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria before the Senate.
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