…As South East Development Commission is moved for another legislative day

By Henry Umoru

MOVES to establish the South West Development Commission, SWDC got a boost on Wednesday as it scaled second reading.

This was after the consideration of a bill for an act to Establish the South West Development Commission charged with the responsibility among others to receive and manage funds from allocation of the Federation Account, including donations and gifts, for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructural damages suffered by the region and to tackle ecological, environmental and other developmental challenges and for related matters, 2024 (SB. 68).

 It was presented by Senator Olugbenga Daniel, APC, Ogun East. Also on Wednesday, a bill for the establishment of    the North Central Development Commission scaled second reading in the Senate.

This was sequel to the presentation of Bill for an Act to Establish the North Central Development Commission as a catalyst to develop the arrays of potentials of the North Central as well as address the gap in infrastructural development of the region and for related matters, 2024 (SB. 140). It was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, APC, Niger East and Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.

The bill for the establishment of the South East Development Commission which appeared as Concurrent was referred to another legislative day for second reading.

A Bill for an Act to establish the South East Development Commission in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to act as a catalyst to develop the commercial potentials of the South East and for other connected matters, 2024  (HB. 626) was presented by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele,  APC, Ekiti Central

Recall that when Senator Daniel presented the bill in August last year for  consideration and subsequent  passage, he had said that when  established, the Commission would be saddled with the responsibilities of managing and administering funds received from the Federation account.

South West Development  Commission ( Establishment) Bill was reintroduced then  for the second time, after it was first brought to the Senate  in the 8th National Assembly  in December 20, 2018.

Already in existence are the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the North East Development Commission, NEDC, which establishment bill received Presidential assent in October, 2017.

The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, APC, Lagos East in the 8th Senate, was read for the first time at plenary presided over by then President  of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Ashafa’s bill was  entitled: South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2018. They are Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Oyo.

Recall that the proposal to establish a South West Development Commission then came  eight days after the Senate  passed the South East Development Commission Bill 2018.

If these are passed and signed into law along with the South East Development Commission Bill which may be returned to the Senate  for consideration, they will bring to six, the number of regional interventionist agencies in the country, leaving only the North Central yet to propose for the establishment of such a Commission.