53 years after Nigeria-Biafra War: South-East Development Commission Bill Passed

Abuja, NIGERIA — Fifty-three years after the Nigerian-Biafra civil war in which over 3 million Igbos were killed and No Victor No Vanquished rhetoric was announced in 1970 to end the massacre leaving behind ruins and rubbles of war with traces of humanitarian crises, infrastructural negligence and near lack of Federal Government presence, the Nigerian National Assembly has passed a bill establishing South East Development Commission.

The commission will be charged with the responsibility of receiving and managing funds from the allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region as a result of the effect of the civil war.

The Commission will also tackle the ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the Southeast States which include Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi.

The Commission shall among other functions, “conceive, plan and implement, by the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South East States in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialization, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications; cause the South East States to be surveyed to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development.

“Implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission; identify factors inhibiting the development of the South East States and assist the member States in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South East States; assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the South East States by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company including non-governmental organisations and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilized.

Other functions Include, “tackling ecological and environmental problems that arise from the extraction and mining of solid mineral, exploration of oil mineral in the Southeast states and advise the Federal Government and the member States on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution; liaise with the various solid mineral extraction and mining companies and oil and gas prospecting and producing companies on all matters of pollution prevention and control; and execute such other works and perform such other functions which in the opinion of the Commission are required for the sustainable development of the South East States and its peoples.”

With the passage at both Chambers, a Conference Committee will be set up to harmonize differences before it will be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assent.

The passage of the SEDC bill on Thursday was a sequel to consideration of the report on 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) and presented by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central.

The bill was presented on Wednesday by the Senate Leader, for concurrence, but was referred to the next legislative day for deliberation.

Recall that the House of Representatives on December 21, 2023, at its Committee of the Whole chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who is also the sponsor of the Bill, unanimously passed it for 3rd reading and sent it to the Senate for concurrence.

The Senate approved the long title of the Bill as recommended, clause 2 as amended, clauses 3 to 5 as recommended, clause 6 as amended, clauses 7 to 29 as recommended, interpretation clause 30 as recommended, short title clause 31 as recommended, schedules 1 and explanatory memorandum as recommended.

Also the South-South Development Commission ( Establishment) Bill, 2004( SB.358) sponsored by Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo, APC, Cross River has been introduced as the first reading in the Senate.

Deputy Speaker Commends Lawmaker

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on Thursday commended the Senate for passing the Bill seeking the establishment of the South East Development Commission.

Recall that the proposed legislation sponsored by Kalu was passed by the Senate after considering and adopting its clauses at the Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Recall also that the House of Representatives on December 21, 2023, at its Committee of the Whole chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Kalu, unanimously passed the Bill for Third Reading and subsequently sent it to the Senate for concurrence.

Kalu commended the Senate, noting that the Bill when passed into law and eventually assented to by President Bola Tinubu, will help to rebuild the South East region from the damage of the civil war.

This is just as he noted that the passage of the bill is coming at a time when South East lawmakers are championing the Peace in South East Project, a non-political movement using a non-kinetic approach to resolving the problems in the region.

Kalu said, “I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate led by the President, Senator Godswill Akpabio for passing through 3rd reading of the bill seeking the establishment of the South East Development Commission which I sponsored. I am equally grateful to my colleagues in the House who supported and passed the bill recently.

“The commission is very important because when established, it will help in the rebuilding of the post-war reconstruction that has not been attended to for over fifty years.

“The Commission shall conceive, plan and implement, by the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South East States in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialisation, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity, and telecommunications; cause the South East States to be surveyed to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development.

“Implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission; identify factors inhibiting the development of the South East States and assist the member States in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South East States;

“Assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the South East States by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company including non-governmental organisations, and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilised.

“It shall further tackle ecological and environmental problems that arise from the extraction and mining of solid mineral, exploration of oil mineral in the South East States and advise the Federal Government and the member States on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution; liaise with the various solid mineral extraction and mining companies and oil and gas prospecting and producing companies on all matters of pollution prevention and control; and execute such other works and perform such other functions which in the opinion of the Commission are required for the sustainable development of the South East States and its peoples,” he further further said.

Senate President Speaks

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, noted that once the Bill becomes law, it brings development and the region’s fears will be addressed.

Akpabio said, “It’s a very important bill passed by this 10th Senate, this bill addresses all the fears of our brothers and sisters from the South East, it will put an end to the marginalization. I want to say congratulations. I pray this Commission will bring a lot of development to the South East and we will assist you to stop any form of agitation and bring peace to your region. When harmonized, it will address the fears of the south-east”.

Akpabio said, “It’s a very important bill passed by this 10th Senate, this bill addresses all the fears of our brothers and sisters from the South East, it will put an end to the marginalization. I want to say congratulations. I pray this Commission will bring a lot of development to the South East and we will assist you to stop any form of agitation and bring peace to your region. When harmonized, it will address the fears of the south-east”.