NDDC Needs N1.3trn For On-going Projects

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) requires
N1.3trillion to pay for all on-going projects.

Managing Director of the commission, Dr Christian Oboh who
made the disclosure at an interface, Monday, with the Senate Committee on NDDC
said that the 250,867,925,4000 projected revenue for 2012 was grossly  inadequate.

He explained that the 2012 budget was primarily intended to
fund on-going projects to avoid abandonment and create jobs through diversified
economy.

Oboh submitted that although
the management team was relatively new , they were working hard to
improve on the situation, with encouraging results.

Earlier, the Senate Committee led by Senator James Manager
had decried that NDDC management’s penchant of submitting budget proposals
late, and urged the current board to make a difference, by ensuring that its
2013 budget was ready before the committee in January, 2013

“The commission’s 2010 budget was approved in April 2011,
that of 2011 began implementation in April 2012 and the 2012 budget followed
similar trend having taken off in April,’’ he observed.

The committee insisted that the 2013 budget must break away
from this tradition by reaching the National Assembly by January 2013.