Two bills to establish regional development commissions, on Thursday, passed second reading at the Senate plenary.
The bills are “A Bill for an Act to establish the South-East Development Commission in it commercial potentials of the South East and other connected matters, 2020 (SB. 161)”, sponsored by Sen. Stella Oduah (Anambra North).
The second bill is entitled: “A Bill for an Act to establish the North Central Development Commission in the Act as a catalyst to develop the Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial potential of the North Central to receive and manage from allocation of the Federation for the agricultural and industrial development of the North Central and other development challenges and for other connected matters, 2020 (SB. 234)”, sponsored by Senator Abba Moro (Benue South).
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In her lead debate, the Anambra North Senator and sponsor of the Southeast development bill said its passage would facilitate the enhancement of the regions skill sets in all areas of its competences and promote technological innovation.
She said “the purpose of the bill is to identify and promote programmes that will enhance the development of boundless entrepreneurial capacities, technical skills, technological innovativeness and managerial competencies tor our economic advancement.
“It is also to give necessary attention and support needed to harness the abundant economic and ingenuous entrepreneurial potentials of the region, and to the development of the manufacturing and industrial activities capable of transforming the Nigerian economy and leading the way to a strategic domestic economic growth.”
Oduah argued that it is incontrovertible that the Micro Small and Medium-scale Enterprises are significant to the growth, productivity and competitiveness of any economy, this has remained one area the South East manifested
strength and comparative advantage.
She argued that the region has suffered as it lacked the necessary encouragement and support to enhance their growth and maximise their full potentials to compete with countries like China and Brazil but maintained that the region is strategically positioned to drive the economy through diversification which is paramount in taking the nation out of a monolithic economy.
Senator Odua said this would be possible with the passage of this bill as it would focus on developing these critical areas for national growth.
She said the South-East as a region has contributed immensely to the overall development of Nigeria in terms of technical, educational, tourism, sports and technological know-how and other areas of endeavour stitll lag behind in terms of infrastructural development.
“What the region requests from the rest of country is support and understanding and this will help engender a sense of belonging to the Nigerian project,” she submitted.
Senator Abba Moro, while advancing argument in favour of the North Central Development bill, said North Central Zone of Nigeria hosts two of West Africa’s great rivers, the River Niger and River Benue, which flows into Nigeria from The Republic of Cameroon.
According to him, the two rivers meet in North Central Nigeria and flow as one river on to the Atlantic Ocean. However, the presence of these two rivers has made flood a perennial challenge in the region with increasing intensity every year, leaving not just the North Central zone but the entire country with great losses and trauma.
Senator Moro further argued to justify the need for the establishment of the regional development commission that official records from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency were indeed revealing and called for a regionally based development structure such as the proposed commission.
According to Senator Moro “In 2012, devastating flooding forced two million Nigerians from their homes and 363 died in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states.”
Again “In 2016, 92,000 people were displaced and 38 died from incidents of flood in Benue, Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa States, and other parts of Nigeria, while in 2017, floods affected 250,000 People in Benue, Kogi, Niger and Plateau states, and other parts of Nigeria,” he noted.
He said herder/farmer clashes in North Central Nigeria, especially in Benue State, have continuously made headlines.
Consequently, infrastructure ranging from places of worship, roads, hospitals, schools, houses, recreational Centres, etc, have been left tattered, shattered and pierced by bullets.
He pointed out that the loss has been monumental with women, children, pregnant women and in fact the entire population becoming victims of the atrocities perpetrated by suspected herders in the North Central Zone of Nigeria.
Even animals and the environment are not spared the chaos and conundrum imparted on the North Central Zone of Nigeria by the perpetrators of these unwholesome acts.
Senator Moro also recalled, that on February 24, 2016, rural dwellers in 45 villages of Agatu LGA were awakened by the sound of gunshots and flicks of machetes as suspected militias swept into the area unleashing an orgy of violence.
The incident left, in its wake, more than 500 persons dead, among which were children and women, with more than 39,000 persons displaced from their ancestral homes.
The displaced communities have been scattered with many seeking refuge in various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps scattered across Benue and Nasarawa states.
Such situations reemphasized the need for the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) which would be saddled with the responsibility of receiving and managing funds allocated by the Federal Government and Donors (International and Local Donors), for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses, farmlands and business premises affected by flood, erosion and farmer/herder clashes, construction of large format drainage systems, dredging of rivers Benue and Niger to control flood, erosion and other incidental matters, as well as tackling the menace of poverty, illiteracy and other related environmental and developmental challenges in the North Central Zone of Nigeria.
and then