*Commission proposes N2.28tn three-year consolidated budget
*Lawmakers pass bill to make common entrance exams compulsory
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa and Udora Orizu in Abuja
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has thrown its weight behind a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the United States-based Atlanta Global Resources Inc. (AGRI) to build a railway network to connect all states in the region.
The IYC President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the entire stakeholders in the region were excited over such move by the board of the NDDC and were eagerly waiting for the realisation of the project.
Igbifa, who described the development as a paradigm shift from the past focus of the NDDC on quick-win projects, said sustainable and enduring projects like the proposed railway network would surely stimulate such economic activities required to place the Niger Delta on the fast lane of development.
The IYC boss argued that such railway network if realised would be the first project for regional integration, a big ticket developmental initiative, which he said was in tandem with the core mandate of the NDDC.
Igbifa said Niger Delta stakeholders were praying for the NDDC to pursue the proposed project to a logical conclusion insisting that all traditional rulers, youth groups, women, among others were united and had queued behind the commission to see the project come on stream.
He assured the local and international partners of the project that the Niger Delta people were united in their quest to see such project of regional dimension take place in the Niger Delta.
Igbifa appealed to the partners not to allow any lone voice discourage them from working with the management of the NDDC to achieve the proposed feat saying the, “Niger Delta is bigger than any individual.”
He, however, said youths and other stakeholders from the region would not allow a few envious and negative-minded individuals scuttle the proposed project.
He added: “When reports emerged from the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Summit organised by the NDDC that the commission had signed an MoU with a globally-rated US-based company to harness Technical, Materials and Financial Resources for a railway network to connect all the states in the Niger Delta, the region erupted in jubilation.
“We saw it as an answered prayer because we have been advocating a regional project of such magnitude to ensure developmental integration required to catalyse the economic growth of the Niger Delta.
“We have said that the core mandate of the NDDC is birthing big ticket projects that will link the entire Niger Delta State for sustainable development. NDDC was not created only to construct street roads and build houses.
“It was established to galvanise the rapid development of the region, which can only be achieved with projects of regional integration.
“All stakeholders in the Niger Delta are united to actualise this rail project. And we are asking the board of the NDDC not to allow the project die at the conception stage.
“We will hold the management of this commission responsible if it chickens out and develop cold feet towards the project.
“We want to assure all the partners to the signed MoU, local and international especially the US-based company, which is expected to bring Capacity partners needed to drive the project that we are excited about and will provide the necessary support to actualise it.
“We have surveyed the region and discovered that all the stakeholders are united towards the realisation of this project. Therefore, there is nothing any lone voice can do to frustrate or scuttle it. We commend the board of the NDDC for conceiving this lofty project and assembling machinery to actualise it.”
Meanwhile, the NDDC has proposed to spend N2.28 trillion for the three consolidated financial years of 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The National Assembly had withheld the budget of NDDC for the three years because the commission had been without a governing board.
The federal government had in January, inaugurated the NDDC governing with Lauretta Onochie as its chairman and Samuel Ogbukwu as managing director.
Ogbukwu, appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC for budget presentation and defence said an aggregate expenditure of N485.7 billion was proposed for the Commission in 2021, N928.2 billion in 2022 and N876 billion for 2023.
He said the consolidated appropriation bill christened: “Budget of Rewind to Rebirth,” was based on assumptions of revenue such as revenue brought forward, federal government contribution, unpaid arrears and recoveries by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ecological fund, oil companies contribution and other realised income.
The managing director said the revenue estimate included cash brought forward of N35.5 billion in 2021, N3 billion in 2022 and N5 billion in 2023; federal government statutory transfers of N85 billion for 2021 and N150 billion for 2022 and 2023 each fiscal year.
He said others are: “Unpaid arrears of N100 billion from the federal government for 2021, N504 billion for 2022 and N450 billion for 2023, being expected revenue from the federal government through recovery by the EFCC from oil companies.
Expected revenue of N250 billion from the oil & gas companies for 2021 and also for 2022 and also for 2023 fiscal year.
“Expected N15 billion from Ecological fund for 2021, N20.7billion for 2022 and N20 billion for 2023. N200 million is expected from internally generated (bank interests and sales of boarded items) for 2021 while N500million is expected in 2022 and 2023 respectively.”
He said overhead costs were projected at N14.5 billion for 2021 and N16.5 billion for 2022 and N17.4 billion for 2023.
On the capital expenditure he said an aggregate sum of N440 billion is proposed in 2021 while N873 billion is proposed for 2022 and N820.5 billion for 2023.
Meanwhile at plenary, the lawmakers passed through second reading a bill which seeks to make common entrance exams compulsory.
The proposed legislation titled, “Bill for an Act to Repeal the National Examinations Council (NECO) Act Cap. N37, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Enact the National Examinations Council Bill to Provide for making National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BSCE) and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (Internal) (SSCE) (1) Compulsory for every Nigerian Child,” was sponsored by Hon. Julius O. Ihonvbere.
