The House of Representatives on
Wednesday in Abuja, passed the 2013
budget of N315 billion for the Niger
Delta Development Commission
(NDDC).
The breakdown of the budget revealed
that N15 billion was approved for
personnel costs while capital
expenditure got N2 billion.
Overhead expenditure had N11
billion, while N286 billion was
allocated for development projects of
the commission.
Earlier, Rep. Nicholas Mutu (PDP-
Delta), the Chairman, House
Committee on NDDC, expressed
optimism that the budget would
enhance the operations of the
commission.
Also, the House passed a Bill seeking
to provide for the right of appeal from
the Industrial Court to the Court of
Appeal for second reading,
The bill also seeks an Act to alter the
1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
This is with a view to providing for
the right to appeal judgments from
the industrial court to court of appeal.
Leading debate on the general
principle of the bill, Rep. Friday Itulah
(PDP-Edo), said the bill, if passed,
would give litigants the opportunity
to appeal to court of superior
jurisdiction.
He said that the passage of the bill
would also mean that judgments
from the industrial court would no
longer be final, but open to appeal.
``Judgements that are arriving from
the industrial courts should be
appealable to the court of appeal, and
if litigants are not satisfied, should
appeal to a superior court.’’
Rep. Ossai Ossai (PDP-Delta), and
Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno),
also spoke in support of the proposed
legislation.
However, Rep. Kamil Akinlabi ( PDP-
Oyo), Uzoma Abonta (PDP-Abia) and
Dan Abia (PDP-Akwa Ibom), spoke
against the bill.
They argued that it was not
necessary to amend the constitution.
``The National Industrial Court, a
creation of the Act of National
assembly, is a special court to solely
take charge of labour matters.
``We don't need to subject the
industrial court to constitution
amendment, it is a court established
to expeditiously resolve labour and
trade disputes", Uzo Azubuike (PDP)
Abia said.
The opposition notwithstanding, the
bill scaled through its second reading
and the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal,
referred it to the Special Ad- hoc
Committee on the review of the
Constitution.
http://leadership.ng/news/131113/reps-pass-n315bn-budget-nddc