The crave for development commissions by the six geo-political zones saw “A Bill for an Act to Establish South-South Development Commission” passed second reading in the Senate on
By Haruna Salami
The crave for development commissions by the six geo-political zones saw “A Bill for an Act to Establish South-South Development Commission” passed second reading in the Senate on Thursday.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, the sponsor, Senator Asuquo, Ekpenyong (Cross River South) said the proposed commission will be charged with the “responsibility to receive and manage funds from the Federation Account Allocation and other sources, donations, grants, aids for the integration, development, resolution of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crises as well as tackle ecological and environmental problems”.
The bill which received overwhelming support from the senators at plenary was face with initial opposition because of the existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which some senators took to be for the South South geo-political zone.
However, explanation by Senator Serieke Dickson (Bayelsa West) that the NDDC is “a resource based” commission” specifically for oil producing areas while a development commission is for parts of the states in the geo-political zone” helped a lot clear the minds of the lawmakers.
It was also made clear that NDDC include boil producing states from South West and South East such as Ondo, Imo and Abia.
Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) emphasizing the importance of SSDC said there are many areas in the Niger Delta region that do not produce oil and therefore don’t benefit from NDDC, but will surely benefit from SSDC when established.
Therefore, senators who spoke after Dickson such as the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) Orji Ujor Kalu (Abia North), Enyinayya Abaribe (Abia South), etc all threw their support behind the bill.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is from the South South thanked his colleagues for their overwhelming support for for the proposed SSDC.
for related matters, 2024 (SB. 358) Second Reading Sen. Asuquo, Ekpenyong (Cross River South).
