….Sen Jibrin Says Establishment of the Commission Would Act as a Catalyst to Develop the Potentials in the Region
By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The bill for an act to establish the North-west Development Commission (NWDC), yesterday passed second reading in the Senate.
Sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin said the establishment of the commission would act as a catalyst to develop the potentials in the region as well as address the gaps in the infrastructural development of the area.
Sundiata Post recalls that the bill was sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin (Kano North) and co-sponsored by all the senators in the North-west.
Speaking, the sponsor of the bill, Jibrin, said the North-west has contributed immensely to the overall development of Nigeria in terms of agriculture and other areas of endevour. He however lamented that boko haram insurgency, banditry and kidnapping have impacted negetively on the region resulting in destruction of schools, hospitals and houses.
Barau said the North-west region requires support from the federal government to develop its infrastructure and educate its youths and cause for development in the zone to make it be at par with more developed zones of the country.
Jibrin lamented that the zone has the highest population of people among the six geopolitical zones in the country with about 70 percent consisting largely of jobless youths.
“The sad fact is that majority of these youths are uneducated in the region that has the highest out of school children in the country. The establishment of this commission shall help to address this problem by educating these youths so as to develop the needed human capital to drive the developmental needs of the region in particular and Nigeria in general.
“The enactment of is bill will help to rebuild the North West zone and provide opportunity for the people of the zone to display their talents and contribute immensely to the development of the country,” Jibrin said.
Speaking during the debate, the immediate past deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider his earlier decision not to sign the South East Development Commission Bill passed by the eighth National Assembly. He said the assent to the Bill will cause rapid development of the geopolitical zone.
Ekweremadu who backed the North-west Development Commission Bill, lamented that the eighth Assembly passed the North-east and South-east Development Commission Bills and transmitted same to President Buhari for his assent. He regretted that the president gave his assent to the North-east Development Bill and declined assent to the South-east Development Bill.
He challenged the executive arm to be more proactive and less discriminatory in attending to such bills that would make for rapid development of the six geopolitical zones.
Ekweremadu called on the leadership of the Senate to set aside a day to consider and pass all the pending Bills on development commissions for the remaining four geopolitical zones in the country and transmit same to the President for his assent.
In their contributions to the bill, Senators Kaita Babba Ahmad( Katsina North), Francis Fadahunsi ( Osun East), Ibikunle Amosun(Ogun Central), Kabiru Gaya( Kano South), Ibrahim Gobir( Sokoto East) among others spoke in favour of the bill.
According to the lawmakers the establishment of development commissions in the six geopolitical zones of the country would make for even and rapid development of the country.