The youth wing of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed sadness over the rejection of a bill seeking to include Anambra State as one of the member states of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, by the Nigerian Senate.
The Senate had recently thrown out the bill, claiming that Anambra is not part of the Niger Delta region, which is the reason for the establishment of the commission.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, thrashed the bill after the debate on it for an Act to amend the Niger Delta Development (Establishment Etc.) Act Number 86 2004 to include Anambra as one of the member states as sponsored by Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial Zone, Dr. Tony Nwoye.
According to Senator Akpabio, the NDDC was created to address the environmental degradation in the region following the oil exploration activities in the zone, adding that although Anambra is now among the oil-producing states, and is getting 13% derivation from the federation, it cannot be added to the NDDC against the backdrop that it goes contrary to the purpose for which the agency was established.
Reacting to the development, the Acting National Youth leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, described the Senate’s stance as part of the strategic steps to continue the marginalization of the southeast region.
He argued that if environmental degradation following oil exploration was the reason for inclusion in the Commission, then Anambra should be included, since parts of the state where the natural deposit is explored will suffer the same environmental impact.
Maazi Okpalaezeukwu noted that Anambra borders most of the states included in the NDDC and as such, there is no big deal in including it in the Commission, and that Anambra has met all the requirements to be included in the NDDC.
According to him, the benefits for Anambra, if it is included in the NDDC, are much and the people are expectant, urging the Senate to do the right thing.
The Igbo Youth leader added that if the Senate will not grant Anambra’s bid to join the NDDC, it should expedite action on the establishment of the Southeast Development Commission within the shortest possible time; so that they will begin to right a lot of wrongs on the Southeast region.
He noted that in line with the manifesto of the national leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide; led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Igbo youths are committed to the pursuit of the welfare and wellbeing of the Igbo nation, as everything humanly possible will be done in ensuring absolute stability and development of the southeast region.
Credit: ABS Facebook Page!