Reps pass South East Development Commission Bill

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives has passed for third reading a bill seeking to establish the South East Development Commission ( SEDC).

The bill, which is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and the 42 other lawmakers from the South East, was passed at Wednesday’s plenary after the general principles were considered at the Committee of the Whole.

The bill would now be sent to Senate for concurrence, after which it would be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assent.

The proposed legislation, in its explanatory memorandum, stated that the commission, when established
will be saddled with the responsibility of receiving and managing fund from allocation from Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads and other infrastructural , as we’ll as addressing damages suffered by the South East as a result of the civil war.

The commission, when established will also tackle ecological challenges and any other related environmental or developmental issues in the five South east states of Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi.

Clause eight of the bill stipulates that “the Commission shall formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the South East States

“Conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with 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 in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development;

” Prepare master plans and schemes designed to promote the physical development of the South East States and the estimates of the costs of implementing such master plans and schemes, as well as implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission, ” amongst others.