Defining the Niger Delta Region and NDDC

On the Floor of the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson expressed his concerns regarding the proposed Bill that aims to include Anambra state in the Niger Delta Development Commission.

His concerns stem from the fact that this legislation does not align with the historical foundation and geographical circumstances upon which the establishment of the NDDC was originally based.

NDDC is not only about the oil-producing states, it is about addressing the challenges of Niger Delta, One of the 9 Deltas of the world. The bill and the argument also brought to light the objections to the inclusion of States outside the core Niger Delta states when the NDDC bill was sent.

While opposing Anambra, Gombe, Kogi and Sokoto basin or any other states where oil maybe found to join the Niger-Delta, I raised the possibility of a new legislation to encompass Oil mineral producing states commission like the previous OMPADEC to which any state that oil may be found in commercial quantity can join and that was the overriding view that the senate took after my submission.