National Assembly Passes South-East Development Commission Bill

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The National Assembly yesterday passed the bill seeking the establishment of South-east Development Commission (SEDC).

The commission will be charged with the responsibility to receive and manage funds from allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses and other infrastructural damage suffered by the region as a result of the effect of the civil war.

The bill became the National Assembly document after the Senate in plenary concurred with the House of Representatives version.

The red chamber took the decision after it considered the bill’s clauses at its Committee of the Whole chaired by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The House of Representatives had on December 21, 2023, at its Committee of the Whole chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who is also the sponsor of the bill, unanimously passed it for third reading and sent it to the Senate for concurrence.

The Senate approved the long title of the bill as recommended, clause 2 as amended, clause 3 to 5 as recommended, clause 6 as amended, clauses 7 to 29 as recommended, interpretation clause 30 as recommended, short title clause 31 as recommended, schedules 1 and explanatory memorandum as recommended.

The commission, when established, shall among other functions, “conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South-east states.

“These are in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialization, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications.

The commission would cause the South-east states to be surveyed in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development.

“It will implement all the measures approved for the development of the South-east states by the federal government and the member states of the commission.

“It will identify factors inhibiting the development of the Southeast and assist the member states in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South-east states.

“It will assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the South-east states by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company including non-governmental organisations and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilised.”

Other functions include “to tackle ecological and environmental problems that arise from the extraction and mining of solid mineral, exploration of oil mineral in the South-east states.

“It will advise the federal government and the member states on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution.

“It will liaise with the various solid mineral extraction and mining companies and oil and gas prospecting and producing companies on all matters of pollution prevention and control.

“It will execute other works and perform such other functions which in the opinion of the commission are required for the sustainable development of the South-east states and its peoples.”

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the bill had been passed, noted that once it becomes law, it will bring development and that the region’s fears will be addressed.

Akpabio said: “It’s a very important bill passed by this 10th Senate, this bill addresses all the fears of our brothers and sisters from the Southeast. I want to say congratulations.

“I pray this commission will bring a lot of development to the region, and we will assist you to stop any form of agitation and bring peace to your region. When harmonised, it will address the fears of the south east.”

With the passage at both chambers, a Conference Committee will be set up to harmonize differences before it will be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assent.