The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill to establish the South East Development Commission 2018.
The commission is expected to tackle the infrastructure deficit and ecological challenges besetting the region as well as act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The passage of the bill sponsored by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, followed several debates on the report of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.
The bill contains 30 clauses and it seeks to establish a commission saddled with the responsibility of managing and administering funds received from the federation account for the purpose of harnessing the commercial potential as well as the overall development of the socio-economy of the South-east zones.
Reading the report, chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Paulker, said the passage of the bill will no doubt, lay to rest the incessant clamour and agitations from various quarters of complaints on marginalisation and decay of the zone and ensure the unity and warmness of the country.
Prior to its passage, the lawmakers amended Clause 1(4) of the bill.
The clause reads: “The President may subject to the approval of the National Assembly to (sic) wind up the commission after the completion of its mandate.”
Some senators, however, argued that there should be a time limit for the commission like that of the North-east.
“There should be a time limit just like we did for the north-east. This one is too open-ended. The 10 years that was there initially should be retained,” Omotayo Alasoadura stated.
Sam Egwu disagreed as he explained that the north-east commission and South-east are two different things.
“The circumstance of the establishment of the north-east commission was a result of the calamity. South-east have started having their own before and after the war and now in the north-east because of international intervention, a lot of funds in billions of dollars have come into that project,” he said.
The clause was thereafter amended to: “The President may subject to the approval of the National Assembly to (sic) wind up the commission after 10 years of its mandate.”
For clause 2, which bothers on the establishment of the governing board of the commission, lawmakers argued that there should be one person from each geo-political zone.
The approved clause reads: “Establishment of the Governing board of the commission will include having one person for the other geopolitical zone.”
For Clause 15 (2a), the lawmakers agreed that for “Fund of the commission: from the federal government the equivalent of 10% of the total monthly statutory allocation due to the member states of the commission from the federation account, this being the contribution of the federal government to the commission.”
The senators after several debates passed the bill through a voice vote.
The bill will now need to be passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Buhari before it becomes law.
Briefing the media after the plenary, members of the South East caucus in the senate led by Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), expressed appreciation to their colleagues for their patriotism.
Abaribe urged the president to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria.”
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done.”
Abaribe said he expected the House of Representatives to cooperate.
With Premium Times and The Guardian reports
