House of Representatives considers South East development commission bill

The House of Representatives has passed a Bill for an Act to establish the South-East Development Commission to serve as a catalyst for developing the commercial potentials of the region through its second reading.

It is also meant to receive and manage funds from federal allocation for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and reparation for houses and lost business of Victims of the Nigerian Civil War and address any other environmental or developmental challenges and for related matters (HB.1626)”.

Reading the bill, Acting Leader of the House, Mohammed Monguno (Borno State), urged the members to support the bill.

“Since after the civil war, there is no concerted effort for the rehabilitation of the infrastructure that was destroyed in the south east, that’s the essence of this bill.

“You are all aware that because of boko haram, our infrastructure in the North East was destroyed. And this House in its wisdom decided with unanimity to support the North East Development Commission that has today been established.

“Mr. Speaker, what is good for the North East is good for the South East because infrastructure has been destroyed. The three Rs rejected was a stopgap measure. It is against this backdrop that the Senate passed this bill. So, I am urging my colleagues to support this bill,” he stated.

Hassan Adamu Shakarau (Kaduna State) who was not disposed to supporting the bill cautioned against duplicity and wanton creation of commissions, saying if not checked, all geopolitical zones of the country could ask for their own development commissions.

Speaking, Aminu Suleiman (Kano State) asked the House to kill the bill, because it had been rejected in 2017, adding that it does not matter whether it emanated from the Senate or not.

In his argument, Abdulraq Namdas (Adamawa State) while expressing his concern over the bill, appealed to members to reconsider it, saying: “I appeal to my colleagues to actually reconsider it. If the Senate feels that there should be rehabilitation, I think we should consider it.”

Also, Edwards Pwajok (Plateau State), Nkiru Onyejeocha and Sam Onuigbo (Abia State) and Abdulmuni Jubrin all supported the imperative of national unity through the bill.

But Saheed Fijabi (Oyo State) argued that there should be a national development commission for the entire country instead of creating them for each zone.