Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Usman Nafada, yesterday, rallied support for the budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission, in which N90million is listed to cater for marriages and funeral donations to staff.

The House allowed the NDDC's budget through a second reading, amid stern complaints from members who questioned the huge allocation for staff support during marriages and funeral events, when the commission has yet to deliver on its mandate in the troubled oil region.

"How can we have N90m for marriage alone, when the problems of Niger Delta have not been solved?" noted Sa'adatu Sani, a member from Kaduna State. Mr. Nafada ruled that the amount be granted, clarifying that the provision was not meant for marriage alone, but for "bereavement, condolence purse and transportation."

He countered arguments by lawmakers that the commission, amid undying security threats in the Niger Delta region, has furnished less important areas of interest with huge finances.

High Overhead Costs

"Besides the timing of the budget, which shows the level of seriousness the commission attaches to the region, we should really consider the individual over head costs of this budget which are too high," the House Business and Rules committee chairman, Ita Enang, said.

In such recurrent allocations, the office of the commission's managing director, budgets N178.7m for its personnel cost and N350.6m for its overhead cost while the two executive directors-for Finance and Project- receive allocations of N264.8m and 256.9m respectively as the total for their personnel and overhead cost.

Mr. Enang, supported by Patrick Obahiagbon (Edo State) and Ahmed Wadada (Nasarawa State), questioned the huge provisions and requested that the house slash them and redirect the funding to critical areas of development. Abraham Ogbodo, an aide to the NDDC boss, said the lawmakers may be right in their argument and that the issues might be discussed and re-arranged.

He however said the marriage detail showed a part of organisational responsibility the commission cannot shy from. "Budget is about anticipation and here we deal with human beings," he said. "In every organization, there should be emotional intelligence, where the subordinates are made provisions for in the event of anything. These are put in a basket from which such funds are withdrawn when needed."

The deputy speaker justified that the commission's recurrent spending, which he said include provisions for developmental projects, totalling about N222billion out of the N236billion overall budget.

By Ini Ekott
As culled from 234next.

I no fit sout!!!!!

And we wonder why the Niger Delta hasnt change a bit even after

OMPADEC, PTF & NDDC

These guys are crazy!

So if I marry 5 wives thats 90 times 5, and if they all in a mysterious accident that 90 times 10.

Wick'd!! I wanna be NDDC chairman.

these people are taking nigerians for fools

that is, they've exhausted all mediums used to looting funds, new tricks they want, satan bless them with one, Ok just give it one month and NNDC will have a record highest number of organized marriages and funerals than any government parastatal before!, funny enough the are very few Nddc officers!

I no fit still sout,

I didn't know that marriages and funerals are now some of the problems of the Niger Delta for which NDDC was set up to solve.

na GOD go help us.its hightime d LANDLORDS(Nigerians) chase d TENANTS(Politicians,pub admin'tor4 etc) out of d house

y is everyone in here shocked?have u all been living in aliceland b4?is dis new 2 u all?na small ish be dis na. . .y'all will soon be shocked d more,just hang around

Who will i bury now

Okija_juju:

And we wonder why the Niger Delta hasnt change a bit even after

OMPADEC, PTF & NDDC

they all came,ate the money and close up. . .sooner or later,NDDC will become a tale of yesterday.they must have bribed Nafada if his insistence to allow it is to go by.stoopid fellows

Daddy, you better go and apply to work with NDDC, today oh, i want to get married after the budget is signed.
these politicians are crazy

i keep having a reason not to change my signature.

ireneann:

Who will i bury now

Lol . . . That was funny

candylips:

these people are taking nigerians for fools

may be they are actually!!!!

Nothing is going to come out of this.

the budget will be passed and N90mill will go to someone's pocket

Obo Boco:

Daddy, you better go and apply to work with NDDC, today oh, i want to get married after the budget is signed.
these politicians are crazy

i[b] keep having a reason not to change my signature.[/b]

No need

Damn!
I can't fit shout.
These politicians have no iota shame and/or dignity.

I dont think anything actually sounds ridiculous to the ears of Nigerians, except for homosexuality! First it was that huge ass budget for the anniversary now this! Seriously if they have nothing to do with the money- how bout givin us some electricity? providing our children with decent education? rescuing orphans and children that live on the beach? teaching the young ones its not right for a grown man to have sex with them? if thats not humane enough then they can try structuring the dagerous ass roads putting some foot bridges on the expressway so people will stop getting hit by speeding cars, what of those people whose houses and farms erode every rain season? can nothing be done to help them? Maybe decent facililities in hospitals so more lives can be saved?? Seems all these people care about are parties smh

OMO IBO:

Damn!
I can't fit shout.
These politicians have no iota shame and/or dignity.

Shame and Money dont meet at all

simple kill one staff and get 90M for burial.9ja we hail thee

Senators, House of Reps members, House of Assembly members and Councillors have used their position to loot. By putting it in the budget, even EFCC cannot query its use.

I said it that corruption is in our constitution only that it is not spelt out boldly for all to see.

Fhemmmy:

No need

@ fhemmmy
why did you say no need.?

Obo Boco:

@ fhemmmy
why did you say no need.?

Cos i dont wanna see your name on the face of the dailies that you kill people that aint worth it

na wa o

wonderful but is good shaaaaoooh guys go de marry many wives now

Na wa o! God abeg save us o!

Nigerian politicians are IDIOTS and the people who support them are bigger FOOLS! -Uchenna

why are u people SHOUTING, Poverty dey worry una. When the whole nation want to spend 17billion for anniversary. How much is token 90million, I tire, Only baba GOD go deliver us from these wicked looted pple,

this is what you get when stupid morons are allowed to rule a nation!
what about building low cost houses in the nddc area? i mean these people are living in slums!
what about creating more jobs there?

these thiefing politiciance will not learn a thing till they loot nigeria dry!

I think the N90M is for ALL funeral and weddings, not just one!

If you have 9,000 government workers, and 2% of them die/get married in a year, that is 9M/180 = N50,000. Doesn't sound so much now huh?