NDDC dares NASS, insists on budget implementation

By Henry Ebirehe

The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joi Nunieh has ordered the Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics to treat budgetary implementation requests (Recurrent and Capital) from the various Directorates, Departments, Units and State Offices for the year 2020.

“The Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics is hereby directed to treat budgetary implementation requests (Recurrent and Capital) from the various Directorate, Departments, Units and State Offices for the year 2020”

The Senate in November 2019 barred the Interim Management of the Commission from defending the agency’s 2020 budget.

The Intervention Agency chief executive officer in a memo dated 15th January, 2020 said the sum of N80,881,610,074 was appropriated to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the country’s 2020 Budget.

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“Please recall that the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) has signed into law the Federation’s 2020 Budget (Appropriation Act). Also in the approved budget, the sum of N80,881,610,074 only has been appropriated to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

President Buhari in November 2019 sent the 2019 and 2020 Budget estimates of the agency to the National Assembly for the approval of the federal lawmakers. The National Assembly is yet to pass the 2019 budget of the commission.

In a memo titled “Implementation of NDDC Budget”, Joi Nunieh ordered the Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics to comply.

“It is pertinent to state that the Commission is an Intervention Agency whose activities are predominantly in the Niger Delta Region with a peculiar and harsh geographical terrain and is greatly influenced by the weather conditions “up on