Nigerian Senate passed
the most vital Bill coming from any South East Senator post civil war, the
South East Development Commission Bill (SEDC), which was proposed by
distinguished Senator Stella Oduah, the amazon of the Senate and Co-Sponsored
by Senator Sam Anyanwu.
This Bill is supposed
to address the infrastructural deficit that bedevils South East as a fallout of the consequences of the Civil
War devastation that greeted the zone in 1967. The Bill proposes a 10-year
lifespan after which the President can begin to wind it down subject to the
approval of the National Assembly having achieved its mandate.
The bill has about 30
clauses, while the commission will be funded through Direct deduction of
10% of Federal Allocation due to the
member states monthly.
Rewind back to recall
that the then FG led by Yakubu Gowon had proposed the policy of Reconstruction,
Reintegration and Rehabilitation (RRR) post civil war as a way to heal the
wounds of the war between two brothers that later reconciled and decided to
live together again forgetting their differences.
Unfortunately, the
Federal Govt never kept to its promises as it reneged in virtually all of the
agreements. This has helped to pauperize the South the more especially through
infrastructural deficit as the zone continues to suffer in calculated
conspiracy to scheme it out in any major Federal Govt infrastructure ranging
from roads, power, water scheme, federal owned corporations et al.
Interestingly though,
the only visible Federal presence you will see in South East today is the Enugu
International Airport, which was also built to modern and international
standard by no one else but Senator Stella Oduah, 40 years after the civil war
ended.
In her visionary and
result driven attitude to work, when she was elected into the Senate to
represent the good people of Anambra North, she went straight to work by
proposing many Bills and motions to improve the lots of her people of Anambra
North and South East people in general. One of such hard work and dexterity is
the proposal of South East Development Commission.
Its an initiative that
gave her sleepless night in her quest to bring a watershed development to our
people that will impact their lives forever and help heal the wounds of the
civil war.
She proposed the Bill
to oversee the drive for infrastructural development of South East and bring
the zone at par with other zones in Nigeria. The Bill is expected to replicate
what North East Development Commission (NEDC) is mandated to do in North East
by driving the development of the zone.
Recall that this Bill
was killed in the House of Representative and it caused uproar in the House,
but Nigerian Senate will not fall into such injustice, marginalization and
conspiracy to deny justice, equity and fairness to the most marginalised zone
in the country the South East. Hence, the 8th Senate in its identity
as a true detribalized, patriotic and national interest driven parliament
devoid of ethnic colouration and domination, went ahead to pass the bill on
Wednesday December 12th, 2018, ending hoarse trading about the Bill in
parliament and all Govt circus.
The news of the passing
of the Bill brought alot of excitement across all stakeholders in South East.
Many of the leaders of the zone have applauded Senator Stella Oduah for such an
unprecedented feat of ensuring the passage of this Bill against all odds.
Many have continued to
applaud her passion for South East which has caused her so much pain and
attack, but still she refuses to give up the fight for her people.
Since the passage of
the Bill, encomiums and accolades have continued to pour in from within and
outside the shores of Nigeria with many commending her for such achievement
even when she is just a first time senator. They attributed all her achievements
so far within this three years as a testament of her passion, commitment to
nation building and unalloyed love for her people despite whose ox is gored.
Many are already
calling her the female version of Dr Nmandi Azikiwe to the people of South East
as no ones else except Ikemba Ojukwu and Nnamdi Azikiwe has done so much for
the people of South East more than her.
This Commission will
signal a paradigm shift that will see to the rapid development of South East
under a well orchestrated road map that will gulvanise the people and impact
the economy of the entire region.
It will bolster
economic activities in the zone and help to reduce the burgeoning unemployment
rate in the zone. Many youths will be employed while there will be demand for
human capital development in the region to empower the youths of the region
with skills to compete equitable in this 21st century.
We commend Senator
Stella Oduah for this hard work as we continue to pray for many more years of watershed
and landmark achievements and service to fatherland at the Senate as a senator
representing Anambra North.
Long Live Senator
Stella Oduah!
Long Live South East
Region!
Long Live Federal
Republic of Nigeria!
#IStandWithStellaOduah
#IStandWithAtiku
#AtikuReloaded
#JesusIsTheGreatest
Anayo
Ekeanya (MBA, BSc, DAIT) writes from Abuja
Twitter:
@getmotivatedng
Facebook:
GetMotivated Naija
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