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The Senate, on Thursday, passed the South-West Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024 for the third reading.
But the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, said while the commission was welcomed, what the country really needed was restructuring or devolution of power to ensure true federalism.
The passage of the South-West Development Commission Establishment Bill on Thursday followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, during plenary.
In his presentation, Senator Kaka explained that the bill is designed to foster the socio-economic development of the South-West region.
“If the commission is established through the presidential assent, it will, like other zonal development commissions, receive funds from the Federation Account, donations from development partners, and other sources. These will be used to address infrastructural deficits and tackle ecological challenges in the region,” he said.
Following the presentation, the Senate moved into the Committee of the Whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, after which it was passed for the third reading.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, commended the committee led by Senator Kaka for their efforts.
He noted that the South-West Development Commission, like similar commissions recently established, would address both infrastructural and ecological challenges in the region.
“The purpose of setting up these development commissions is to fast-track the development of the entire country,” Barau said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had already assented to similar bills for zonal development interventions and expressed confidence that he would do the same for the South-West Development Commission Bill.
The bill was earlier sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel (APC, Ogun East).
The Senate had in July this year similarly passed the North-West Development Commission Bill and the South-East Development Commission Bill, both of which have been assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
Commenting on the passage of the South-West Development Commission Establishment Bill, Afenifere, speaking through its Deputy Chairman, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, said, “This is a welcome idea, but what the country needs now is not a unitary system of government.
“Nigeria is a federation. All these piecemeal palliatives will only lead to the multidimensional poverty of the nation as a whole.
“Dismantle the stranglehold on the people by the central government, devolve power to the federating units, unbundle the archaic legislative list and see what the average hard-working poor people of this nation can do.
“The various commissions of old, what positive contributions have they made to the development of the nation?They have nearly been nothing more than abominable cesspools for milking tha nation blind.”
Also speaking to The PUNCH, Afenifere’s Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, said the commission would fast-track the development of the South-West region.
He said, “The passing of the bill of the South-West Development Commission is a welcome development. First and foremost, the Yoruba nation offers our sincere appreciation to His Excellency, Otunba Senator Gbenga Daniel, for the sponsorship of this historical bill. We also remember all the children of Oduduwa, who alongside him serving us as the House of Representatives and Senate members, would diligently work very hard to pass the bill.”
Similarly, the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, said, “The Senate has done well in this respect. The passage of the bill, following the presentation of the report by the Chairman of the Committee on Special Duties, Senator Shehu Lawan, is a positive one. It is hoped that the House of Representatives will follow suit immediately and the President will assent to the bill without much ado.”
Ajayi added that when the bill becomes an Act, “the South-West region will be entitled to further direct allocation from the Federation Account. This will be in addition to monthly allocations that states and local governments in the region presently receive- as is the case with other regions in the country.”
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