THE House of Representatives has asked the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) not to release the sum of 15 billion earmarked as counterpart funding to the Federal Government.

The Federal Government had requested the sum for a humanitarian intervention programme, but the House of Representatives has placed the release of the fund on hold.

The lawmakers asked the committee on NDDC to review the request and report back to the house within two weeks.

The House of reps passed the resolution at Thursday’s plenary.

This was after adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Unyime Idem, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom.

Unyoke said the government had requested the funds from the ministry without the parliament’s approval.

The lawmaker said the money that is to be released is recovered by the EFCC without budgetary provision.
He noted that the NDDC budget estimates for 2021, 2022 and 2023 were before the House for legislative approval.

Unyoke described the move as illegal and a breach of the Appropriation Act.

“Part of the fund available for use by the Commission is money recovered on its behalf by the EFCC and given to the Commission to ease the implementation and its financial obligations.

“The Federal Government sent a special request mandating the Ministry of Niger Delta to jointly finance an intervention and humanitarian programme of sums running into several billions of naira using the money recovered by the EFCC without budgetary provision,” he said.