Abuja, Feb. 22, 2024 – The Senate on Thursday passed the South East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill.
The bill was sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives.
The agency will be responsible for receiving and managimg funds from the allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region as a result of the effect of the civil war.
The Commission, when established, shall among other functions, “Conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South East States in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialization, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications; cause the South East States to be surveyed in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development.
“Implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission; identify factors inhibiting the development of the South East States and assist the member States in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South East States; assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the South East States by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company including non-governmental organisations and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilized”.
The Senate passed the bill on Thursday during a meeting of the Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio
The House of Representatives had, on December 21, 2023, passed the bill after the third reading and sent it to the Senate for concurrence. (GBN)
