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Senate Rejects Bill Establishing South-South Commission
Senators yesterday unanimously voted to reject a bill seeking to establish the South-South Development Commission.
The lawmakers, after an extensive deliberation on the bill, stood it down following stiff opposition from Northern Senators.
Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, stepped down the bill when he sensed that the mood in the Senate did not support it.
The bill which was sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River -South) titled, “A Bill for an Act to Establish the South-South Development Commission charged with the responsibility to receive and manage funds from the Federation Account Allocation and other sources, donations, grants, and for the integration, development, resolution of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crises as well as tackle ecological, environmental problems; and for related matters.”
No sooner had the lead to the debate was read by the Senator representing Bayelsa East, Benson Agadaga on behalf of Ekpeyong, the bill was immediately opposed by two senators from the North who spoke after him.
The opposing senators are Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi-Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi-Central).
They said the proposed commission was a duplication of the existing Niger Delta Development Commission, advising the Senate to drop it.
Aliero, who was a former governor of Kebbi State, said the sponsor appeared to want to play on the intelligence of senators by bringing such a bill to the floor.
Aliero argued that the South-South and the Niger Delta areas already had a fully-funded government agency and a ministry to oversee development in the zone, adding that the proposed SSDC really duplicate their functions.
He recalled how the administration of the late President Umar Yar’Adua in 2007 created the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in addition to the already existing NDDC.
“I feel no need to support the second reading of this bill, which will make the Senate a laughing stock. It will amount to duplication,” he added.
Senator Abdul Ningi, who also opposed the bill, expressed his love for the people of the South-South.
Ningi told the session how he frequently visited the region and had always supported any initiative to uplift the zone.
He, however, said he opposed the SSDC bill because the functions spelt out for it were the same as those being handled by the NDDC.
“When you take the NDDC law and this bill and compare them, they are the same. It is important that this bill is stood down for further consultation,” he stated.
Akpabio quickly called for the votes to step down the bill, which was unanimously endorsed by senators.
Recall that the Senate on April 4, passed the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Bill, while on April 16, it also passed the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) Bill.
While the NCDC Bill, which began its journey in the 9th Senate, was sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue -South), the NWDC Bill was sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano-North) and a host of other colleagues.
The Red Chamber had earlier in February passed the South East Development Commission Bill.
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