Senate panel summons AGF over NDDC fundingSenate panel summons AGF over NDDC funding

SENATE Committee on Niger Delta has summoned the Ac­countant General of the Fed­eration (AGF) to appear before it over alleged non-remittance of some Federal Government agencies’ contributions to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) .

Chairman of the commit­tee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, gave the directive yesterday when management of the Ni­gerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Ecological Fund Office (EFO) appeared before the panel to explain reasons they were not meeting their ob­ligation to the NDDC.

Nwaoboshi noted that the amount due for payment to the NDDC from the NLNG and the EFO which they refused to pay since the last 16 years was colossal and insisted that they had by their action, disobeyed the nation’s laws.

Saraki said: “Up till today, the area of concern is still the issue of gas flaring. What can we do by way of laws to try and see how we can completely eliminate gas flaring and pro­vide more opportunities for more investors in that sector so that they can convert gas into something more productive.

“That also talks about the issue of cooking gas and I believe you can still do more there. I believe you are doing your best within the confines of your responsibilities. I think you all know that this is an important area for all of us as a country – the infrastructure, which I know is not your direct responsibility.

“I believe that you can think out of the box and come up with some ideas where you can use your deeper pockets to come up with some infrastruc­ture solutions so as to take the lead. Government would find ways of providing the incen­tives because without the infra­structure we will not be able to push more of the cooking gas.

“And nobody is in a better position than yourself to really drive that area of cleaner ener­gy for us and help us reduce the use of kerosene. So, I am going to challenge you on that area that you come up with some­thing and the National Assem­bly will be ready to support whatever you come up with.”

He added: “The next step the committee would take now is to invite the Accountant- General of the Federation and investigate the matter to know why the two agencies of gov­ernment had not been remitting what is due to the NDDC to it.”

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