A bill to designate Anambra State as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC threw the Senate into rancour on Wednesday as members of the upper Chambers shared divergent opinions on the second reading of the bill.

The bill which failed to pass second reading after the Lawmakers voted against its passage was sponsored by Senator Tony Nwoye, Anambra North, seeking inclusion of Anambra State through amendment of the NDDC Act N86 LFN 2004 that established the commission.

Armed with documents from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC Nwoye informed the Senate that Anambra State has satisfied the requirements for recognition as oil producing state saying that the the the Revenue mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission had at its 139th Plenary Session held on 27th July 2021 approved the attribution of the following 14 oil Wells to the State.

He listed the oil Wells as ; Nzam 1 oil well, Anambra 1,2,3 oil wells (Straddied), Ogbu-1 oil well, Alo-1 oil well (straddled), Amesi 1, 2, 3,4 oil wells, Enyie 1, 2, 3, 4 oil wells.

Attempting to convince his colleagues to support the bill, Nwoye told the Senators that it has officially started receiving its share of 13% mineral derivation revenue from November 2021 till date.

Chaos ensued after Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked Senator Tony Nwoye to choose between stepping down the bill for further consultations or subject it to the voice votes of the Senators.

Akpabio who was the first to make contributions to the bill picked loopholes in the bill explaining that the current nine member states of Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers of the NDDC were included as a result of their geographical location within the Niger Delta which Anambra State is not part of.

According to him, if Anambra State is to be included it means that other oil producing states such as Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Bauchi , will also be included in the NDDC and identified as Niger Delta States.

Akpabio’s position received the support of Senators; Seraike Dickson, Isah Jibrin, Olamilekan Solomon, Eshilokun amongst others while Senators ; Adams Oshiomhole and few others backed the bill.

Responding to the Akpabio, Sponsor of the bill Tony Nwoye accused Senator Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) of lying before the Senate by saying that Kogi State has started receiving oil derivation since 2022.

“Mr. Senate President, I have the record that Anambra State has started receiving 13 % derivation since November 2021 and as of today Kogi State is not receiving a dime from the Federal Government. He mentioned Kogi and he was trying to misinform the Senate, Nwoye roared.

Jibrin fired back admonishing the Anambra lawmaker to limit his argument to his state, saying, “Kogi has started receiving oil derivation since 2022.”

“With due respect Mr. Nwoye I want to limit yourself to your presentation and your state. What happens in Kogi State is not your business. I am telling you that the information getting to me shows that Kogi is getting 13%, Isah stood his ground.

As the arguments ensued Senate President Akpabio urged Tony Nwoye not to rely on the letter he received from the RMAFC saying that the letter only provided clarifications on the 13 percent derivation of Anambra and not Kogi.

Reacting, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, suggested an amendment that would have accommodated other states, since Kogi is now an oil producing state, and other states that may have oil in future.

Akpabio maintained that there is no need for the bill since Anambra was already receiving its 13 percent derivation from the Federation Government and the state is also receiving funds being a member of the host communities as provided in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act bill.

According to Akpabio the mangrove swamp forests made it possible for states like Imo, Abia and Ondo to be included into the Niger Delta and subsequently the NDDC. He stressed that if Anambra is to be added oil producing states like Kogi, Zamfara, Bauchi will also be added.

Reacting, Nwoye refused to withdraw the bill, he explained that oil wells in Ogbaru community in Anambra are located within the same geographical location as Ndoni community of Rivers States as such Anambra should be included in the NDDC.

“Check the boundary and map of the Niger Delta . The Ogbaru people of Anambra speak the same dialect with Ndoni people; they share almost everything with Niger Delta people and that is where their oil Wells are located. That is where these oil exploration are being done, Tony Argued.

The return of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) was however suggested by Senator Seraike Dickson who disagreed with Nwoye’s bill describing it as “absolute nonsense”.

“The Niger Delta is one of the basins in the world, which over time has involved other states like Ondo State ,Abia, Imo which are part of the basins and because of that they were included in Niger state.

It means that now that Oil gas has been found in Gombe they will now be included in Niger Delta. Maybe we have to go back to OMPADEC. They are already getting 13% derivativation, so maybe this bill should be stepped down for further deliberation, he said.

On his part Adams Oshiomhole supported the bill ; “They (Anambra) deserve to be treated like other oil producing states , with this they can be on the board of the NDDC. Without necessarily changing the word Niger Delta , it’s about equity and fairness, so I support the motion

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 Niger Delta area, Akpabio said the National boundary commission would have to decide that.

The bill was later thrown out after it was subjected to a voice vote with majority of nays from the Senators voting against its second reading.

A nominee for membership of the Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors, Urum Kalu Eke has declined the offer stating that he was currently engaged in the World Bank.

This came to the fore during the Thursday plenary when the Senate began the process for the confirmation of the nominees.

President Bola Tinubu had on February 13 forwarded the names of Urum and four others for confirmation as members of the board for the CBN.

But during the confirmation, former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu,( APC, Abia North ) told the Senate that the person who is his constituent had called him on the phone to reject the offer, noting that it would conflict with his present job as a consultant with the World Bank.

He said, “The nominee told me this role would conflict with his job as a consultant to the World Bank, Federal Government agencies and other private companies.”

Meanwhile, the Senate has confirmed the appointment of four other members of the Board of Directors of the CBN forwarded to it by the President.

Those confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as Directors are Robert Agbede; Ado Yakubu Wanka; Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.

The confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report of the screening of the nominee presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions by the Chairman, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, (APC, Lagos East).

Abiru said, “That the Senate do receive and consider the report of on the confirmation of the nomination of the following Five (5) persons as members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with section 6(1), (2) (d) and 10 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”

According to him, the Committee did not clear Urum Kalu Eke from Abia because he failed to appear before the Committee for screening.

For the second time since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 29, passed the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps.

The bill was first passed by the 10th House of Representatives on Thursday, October 12, 2023, but was rescinded by the House two months later to address emerging issues in the bill.

In moving the motion for rescission, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive said new facts emerged that will strengthen the functions and the operational structure of the Corps.

He emphasized the need for the House to rescind its decision on the Bill and recommit it to the Committee of the Whole for reconsideration and passage.

The bill sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and House leader, Julius Ihonvbare is one of the bills that were reintroduced into the House after failing to get Presidential assent following earlier passage by the 9th Assembly.

Among others, the bill seeks to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps as a body charged with the responsibility to develop, empower, and provide gainful employment to youths to facilitate peace, volunteerism, Community Services, Neighborhood Watch, and nation-building.

The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence before being sent to the President for assent.

The Peace Corps of Nigeria was established over 25 years ago by the National Commandant, Dickson Akoh, and incorporated under the Company and Allied Matters (CAMA) Act.

It was accorded the Federal Government recognition through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and granted a license to operate in the Country as a Non-Governmental Organization by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.