SOUTH EAST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PASSED INTO LAW: MATTERS ARISING

Finally, after about 8 years or more, the South East Development Commission Bill has metamorphosed into law as it was signed by President Tinubu on Tuesday July 22nd.

Commendations and encomiums continue to pour towards Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for his resilience in resubmitting this Bill and seeing that it got to the zenith of the proposal by becoming law.

Acclamations also go to all South East law makers in this 10th Assembly for lending their support towards the actualization of his bill.

However, its critical to state and to go down memory lane as regards the historicals behind this new law for many who are not aware.

This bill was designed and incubated by Former Senator Stella Oduah in the 8th Assembly when my humble self was her Special Adviser, Media and Publicity.

She submitted the Bill and it passed First Reading. After that, Senator Sam Anyanwu her very good friend joined to co sponsor this Bill from 2nd Reading considering the closeness of Sam Anyanwu and Senator Saraki.

With the support of South East Law makers in that 8th Assembly, the Bill also passed concurrence at House of Assembly and was passed into law.

I can remember the day the Bill was passed, there was jubilation among South East Law makers in the 8Th Assembly celebrating the landmark achievement.

The Bill was passed on to Buhari to sign it into law. Apparently, as we know, due to the deep hatred that most incompetent President Buhari had for Ndigbo, he refused to assent to the Bill.

Accordingly, i was nor there anymore but i understand the Bill was also resubmitted at the 9th Assembly, it was also passed but it suffered the same fate under the bigoted and incompetent failure called Buhari, as he also refused to assent to the Bill.

Here we are in 10th Assembly, Honourable Benjamin Kalu the Deputy speaker and other South East law makers i understand resubmitted the Bill and considering his position of influence in APC as a Deputy Speaker, he was able to follow it to the later and finally, we are here. the Bill is now law.

Congratulations to Honourable Benjamin Kalu, Congratulations to Senator Stella Oduah, and congratulations to the good people of South East.

The handwriting and footprints of Senator Stella Oduah has been on the landmark achievements and projects in South East. She was also the one who broke all barriers and made Akanu Ibiam Airport Enugu, International. Thereby breaking the jinx of South East not having any international airport. She went ahead to start the modern terminal in the airport which was eventually finished and commissioned after she left. Same way she converted Imo Airport to International, there by allowing her to build a better terminal for the airport under her leadership as Aviation Minister.

We have to give honour to whom honour is due at least for the sake of history and to encourage others who would want to follow the same part of honour and landmark achievements like her.

Having achieved this watershed achievement in our history as  a people, its pertinent to advise the people of South East on how to administer this Commission if we DO NOT want to go the way of NDDC and other commissions that are bedeviled in corruption with uncompleted projects littered everywhere while Billions siphoned with nothing concrete to show for it.

Firstly, the Commission should not be left in the hands of politicians. Rather, Ohaneze Economic Team made of experienced Private sector experts from South should be given the opportunity to appoint the MD and the board of the commission.

The commission should be entirely insulated from politics. The appointment should be entirely based on merit and for equity purposes, it has to rotate among the 5 states of South East and the tenure of each MD should be 5 years.

The commission can only collaborate with each governor of South East on areas of mutual interest like building Seaport in Abia State, Cargo airport in Owerri, industrialization of South East, rail network integration of South East etc.

The board members should be apolitical meaning they have to be private sector driven without any known affiliation to any political party.

A roadmap should be designed for the Commission starting from now, to ensure that every MD of the commission must follow it and subsequent successors SHOULD continue and complete all projects started by the predecessor before initiating new ones.This is the only way to ensure accountability and continuity. 

After every tenure of 5 years, the account of the commission must be audited by independent international auditors to ascertain the state of the books and ensure transparency in the commission.

This is the only way the commission can achieve its mandate and terms of reference and eventually contribute greatly towards actualization of the mantra of post-war RRR by rebuilding South East in tandem with the mantra of Reintegration,  Reconstruction, and Reconciliation.

Once again congratulations to the Good people of South East, let the work begin.

Anayo Ekeanya, Former SA to Senator Stella Oduah.