A bill to establish South East Development Commission was passed by Senate on Wednesday.

The passage of the bill sponsored by Mr Samuel Anyanwu, followed several debates on the report of Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

Prior to the presentation of the bill, President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2017, assented North East Development Commission.

The bill contains 30 clauses and it seeks to establish a commission saddled with the responsibility of managing and administering funds received from the federation account for the purpose of harnessing the commercial potential as well as the overall development of the socio-economy of South-east zone.

Reading the report, chairman of the committee, Mr Emmanuel Paulker, said the passage of the bill will no doubt, lay to rest incessant clamour and agitations from various quarters of complaints of marginalisation and decay of the zone and ensure the unity and oneness of the country.

Prior to its passage, the lawmakers amended Clause 1(4) of the bill.

The clause reads: “The President may subject to the approval of the National Assembly to (sic) wind up the commission after the completion of its mandate.”

Some senators, however, argued that there should be a time limit for the commission like that of the North-east.

“There should be a time limit just like we did for the North-east. This one is too open-ended. The 10 years that was there initially should be retained,” Mr Omotayo Alasoadura stated.

Mr Sam Egwu disagreed as he explained that North-east commission and South-east commission are two different things.

“The circumstances of the establishment of the North-east commission was a result of the calamity. South-east started having its own before and after the war and now in the North-east because of international intervention, a lot of funds in billions of dollars have come into that project,” he said.

The clause was thereafter amended to: “The President may subject to the approval of the National Assembly wind up the commission after 10 years of its mandate.”

For clause 2, which bothers on the establishment of the governing board of the commission, lawmakers argued that there should be one person from each geo-political zone.

The approved clause reads: “Establishment of the Governing board of the commission will include having one person for the other geopolitical zone.”

For Clause 15 (2a), the lawmakers agreed that for “Fund of the commission: from the federal government the equivalent of 10% of the total monthly statutory allocation due to the member states of the commission from the federation account, this being the contribution of the federal government to the commission.”

The senators after several debates passed the bill through a voice vote.

The bill will now need to be passed by House of Representatives and signed by Mr Buhari before it becomes law. The presidency has given no indication whether or not Buhari will sign the bill.

PT