DESOPADEC Amendment Bill Suffers SetBack

The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Amendment Bill has suffered a setback, as lawmakers in the state legislature opposed themselves over the proposed law.

The disagreement among the legislators arose when some of them resisted the attempt by others to give the final reading and to pass it.

The bill which was sponsored by the member representing Sapele constituency, Mr Monday Igbuya, sought to amend section 3 (b) of the law establishing the commission.

Our correspondents gathered that the section deals with the appointment of the chairman of the body.

Our source also reports that the bill is proposing to alter the rotational basis of appointment of the chairman on the strength of volume of oil produced by the various ethnic groups.

Then the existing law provides that the chairman should be appointed by the governor from the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa communities on the basis of oil production.

The current chairman is from the Ijaw extraction because the tribe is the highest in oil production and by the existing law, the Itsekiri will take their turn as the next highest oil producing area.

But the amendment is seeking to alter that order, canvassing that the chairman could come from any of the tribes, irrespective of the quantity of oil production.

The proponents of the bill wanted it passed after a report on it was submitted by Peace and Security committee, but other members opposed to the amendment wanted further debate on it.

The argument that ensued led to confusion in the chamber and eventually forced the acting Speaker, Mr Basil Ganagana, to order that the report be represented on July 27.

He also said that the representation would enable the executive of the house to look into it.