Senate President, David Mark, yesterday clarified that the N444.6 billion voted for Niger Delta security in the 2008 budget was for the development of the region and not exclusively for security of the area.
His reaction came against the backdrop of claims by South-South senators and other prominent people from the Niger Delta that the amount tilted more in favour arms acquisition than development of the region.
But speaking in an interview with newsmen at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport shortly on arrival in Lagos, Senator Mark dismissed reports that the Senate was divided over the huge sum devoted to the security of the area in place of development.
According to him, " the N444.6 billion is for development of the Niger Delta and not for security, and it is mere speculation that the Niger Delta budget is for acquisition of arms for purposes of security of the area."
He said the Senate was unanimous on the budgetary allocation for the area, adding that stories of division over the matter were untrue.
The Niger Delta budgetary allocation has continued to generate controversies since President Umar Musa Yar'Adua presented the budget before a joint session of the National Assembly about two weeks ago.
While some senators, mainly from the South-South zone alleged that the budget was primarily dedicated to arms acquisition against development of the area, others said development of the region was the pivot of the budgetary allocation to the area.
Similarly, members of the Delta State House of Assembly appealed to the Senate to convert half of the allocation to actual development, alleging that a bigger chunk of the money was for security.
On Senate's refusal to screen some ambassadorial nominees over alleged security reports about them, the Senate President said there was no iota of truth in claims that some of the nominees have petitioned the Senate.
"It is speculation also that some ambassadorial nominees petitioned the Senate because they were not screened. I am not aware of that," Senator Mark added.
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