Twenty-four
hours after some northern groups issued an ultimatum to Igbo to vacate their
region within the next three months, the South East Development Commission
(SEDC) Bill scaled the crucial Second Reading in the Senate.
One of its
sponsors, Senator Samuel Anyanwu read the lead debate on the bill.
It was,
however, not debated on the floor, after Anyanwu read the lead debate,
following an appeal by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who pleaded
that it should be passed in the spirit of fairness and justice.
When Senate
President, Bukola Saraki, subjected it to a voice vote, lawmakers gave a
resounding ‘aye’ and was, thereafter, referred to the Committee on
Establishment for legislative consideration.
The next
phase is a public hearing where stakeholders and government officials are
expected to make inputs before it will be passed into law.
Saraki,
speaking afterwards, said: “The unity of a nation goes beyond a bill; I want us
all to see it as a responsibility to ensure the unity of this country. We all
have a role to play; by doing this as a Senate, we’ve demonstrated readiness to
look at the pros and cons of issues. But, I think the issues go beyond just
this bill.
“Distinguished
colleagues, as some celebrate this, we have to do more work. There are people
who we are leading and we must go back and play our roles in uniting this
country. Having Commissions all over the country might not bring the results we
need.”
Regardless,
it was a moment of joy and relief for the South East Caucus of the House of
Representatives.
Last week, a
similar bill was rejected in the House and with yesterday’s second reading of
the same bill in the Senate, the caucus was ful of kind words for Senators.
Caucus
Chairman, Chukwuka Onyema led other members to the Red Chambers to witness the
consideration of the SEDC bill. Members
sat in the gallery and immediately celebrated the second reading on the floor
of the Senate, with some of them exchanging hugs and handshakes. A member of
the caucus and chairman of the Committee on Health Services, Chike John Okafor,
said Senate restored his faith in Nigeria by passing the bill.
“I am happy
it (bill) scaled through in the Senate and I am also not happy that the House,
where I sit, couldn’t pass the same bill. What happened today showed the beauty
of bi-camera legislature which we are practicing. If we had a one-chamber legislature,
the rejection by the House would have been the end of that important bill,”
Okafor said
Another
member of the caucus, who was at the Senate gallery, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje said
senators deserved to be given kudos for understanding reasons behind the bill,
chief among which is to accelerate the industrialisation of the South-East
through a legal framework for investment in critical infrastructure.
“I am glad
Senate was able to rise above sectional sentiments, to look at the bill as an
answer to the agitation of the South-East and went ahead to provide a
legislative solution to burning issues as the National Assembly has always
done,” she said.
Some members
of the South-East caucus from the House of Representatives seen at the Senate
gallery, yesterday, included Uzodinma Abonta, Chike Okafor, Nnenna Ukeji, Nkiru
Onyeocha, Jones Onyenreri, Jerry Alagbaoso, Igariwey and 10 others.
Some of the
lawmakers who spoke to Daily Sun, informally, said they were at the gallery to
show solidarity and drive home the importance of the bill to the development of
the geopolitical zone.
According to
the proposed bill, when established, SEDC will be operated for a period of 10
years.
The
commission can, however, cease to operate after 10 years following a proposal
to that effect by the president and endorsed by the National Assembly.
The bill:
“An Act to Establish the South East Development Commission in the Federal
Republic of Nigeria to act as catalyst to develop the commercial potentials of
the South East and other connected matters,” scaled second reading in the
Senate, days after its rejection in the House of Representatives.
Regardless,
section 1 (4) of the bill, introduced another dimension, which provides leeway
for the Commission to only exist for 10 years after which the president can
wind it up following the approval of the National Assembly.
The section
reads: “The President may, subject to the approval of the National Assembly,
wind-up the Commission after 10 years.”
The bill
also indicates that the management board of the Commission shall consist of the
chairman and one representative each from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo
states as well as representatives of Federal Ministry of Finance and the
Ministry of Justice.
According to
the bill, a member of the board of the Commission shall, according to the bill
hold office for four years and can have his appointment renewed for another
four years.
Some of the
functions highlighted for the Commission include release of policies and
guidelines for the development of the South-East as well as the conception of
plans for development in accordance with set rules, while also producing
regulations programmes and projects for
the sustainable development of the South-East.
The
Commission is also expected to provide roadmaps for development of roads,
education, health facilities, industrialisation, agriculture, housing and urban
development, water supply, electricity and commerce in the area.
It is also
expected to provide master plans for reduction of unemployment while also
providing master plans and schemes to promote the physical development of the
South-East.
It would
estimate the cost of implementing such master plans and schemes while
implementing all the approved measures for development.
But, like
the bill rejected in the House, the Senate bill does not impose any financial
burden on the Federal Government as its operations will be funded by 15 percent
of federal allocations due member states.
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