Agitations for resource control to follow due process

Nigerian Observer

6 October 2011

Agitations for resource control to follow due process

ABUJA – Senate President, David Mark, yesterday, declared that agitations for resource control cannot be granted at the expense of the nation but must follow due process and democratic principles where the majority have their way and the minority their say.

He made the declaration at the inauguration of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and commended people of the Niger Delta region for buying into the federal government amnesty programme and conducting themselves in peaceful manner.

The senate president also regretted the recent dissolution of the NDDC board, describing it as an indictment on the people entrusted with development of the region.

“The dissolution of the NDDC has put a question mark on the performance of the NDDC; all of them should hide their heads in shame, they have failed the nation; they should be held responsible”, he said.

He also charged the Senate Standing Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to liaise with the Revenue Allocation Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, to review the current revenue sharing formula from the federation account to bring it to the current realities on ground.

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Also inaugurating the Senate Committee on Police, Senate President Mark observed that the police have image problem such that “the average perception is that unless money exchange hands nothing will happen; I believe you have to work very hard on your image problem; do more on crime prevention, where crime occurs, the culprits should be discovered and arrested promptly and be prosecuted; let your relationship with the public be cordial”

Welcoming the senate president earlier, Senate Chairman on Navy, Senator Chris Anyanwu noted that current realities demand that the Nigerian Navy go beyond its traditional role of defending Nigeria against external aggression to heighten its potency and protecting the nation’s trading activities and then get on top of our current national realities such as terrorism, piracy, illegal oil bunkering, arms running, poaching of our sea resources by unauthorised fishing vessels, human trafficking, drug trade and other criminal activities on Nigeria’s territorial waters”.

She, therefore, assured that in the committee’s oversight activities, “we will be guided by one purpose and that is to see the Nigerian Navy become a more relevant force that the Nigerian people will not only be aware of, but thankful for.”