Group Faults Move to Allegedly Sabotage NDDC Budget Passage

Bayelsa Youth Association (BYA), the umbrella body of Bayelsa youths worldwide have condemned an alleged attempt by the senator representing Bayelsa West senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson to stop the passage of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 2021-2023 Budget.

This, according to a statement from the group, was totally unacceptable to the people of Niger Delta who are in dire need of development, especially at this time when the perennial flood crisis is fast approaching.

“Moreso, it is quiet worrisome and unacceptable that the NDDC is yet to have its budget approved by the National Assembly five months into the new budget year

“This substantive board of the NDDC was set up after several yearnings from the people of the Niger Delta region.

“And this was achieved through several agitations in which we demanded for the president to appoint a substantive board that we can see through the development of our environmentally degraded and infrastructurally challenged region,” the statement added.

It noted that, “while we appreciate the steadfastness of the Board headed by our own brother Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, we would like to caution politicians not to play politics with the development of our region especially those representing us in the federal legislature.

“They should not join hands with enemies of Niger Delta to scuttle our development under the guise of budget scrutiny rather we should work together to develop the Niger Delta of our dreams.

“This budget is necessitated by the need to supplement the outstanding projects in the region as the President Mohammedu Buhari government is rounding up.

“This is time all Niger Deltans should join hands to work in unity. And not even the suggestion of investigation, in furtherance of the Senate’s oversight function, should undermine that by arbitrarily delaying the Commission’s budget passage.”

It noted that the North East Developmental Commission (NEDC) had been operating smoothly without investigations from the National Assembly neither members from that region standing down its budgetary provisions rather they work to give succour to the North East Board.