By Henry Umoru

MOVES by the Senate to amend the Acts establishing both the North West Development Commission, NWDC, and the South South  Development Commission, SSDC, to ensure the appointment of the managing director and chairman were not from the same state got a boost yesterday as the bills for their establishment scaled second reading.

According to the amendment the bill is seeking to achieve, it will ensure that the two are not appointed from the same state of the zone.

It also sets out to subject the appointments to the confirmation of the Senate in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.

The resolutions of the Senate were sequel to the presentation of the two executive bills, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central.

The first one is a bill for an Act to amend the North West Development Commission Act 2024, CAP N75 to provide for geo-political representation in the Governing Board of the commission and for other related matters thereto, 2024 (SB. 567) –

The second is a bill for an Act to amend the South East Development Commission Act 2024, and for other related matters thereto, 2024 (SB. 568).

In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill on South East, Bamidele said:  “Mr President, distinguished colleagues, it is with utmost pleasure I rise to lead the debate on the general principles of the South East Development Commission Act, 2024 (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 568). The bill was read for the first time on Wednesday, October 24, 2024.

“In a nutshell, the bill seeks to amend the South East Development Commission Act, 2024 by deleting the words ‘in alphabetical order’ in section 13 of the extant Act, which deals with the appointment of the managing director of the commission.

”The rationale behind this amendment is to ensure that the chairman and the managing director of the commission are not appointed from the same state.

“You will recall, Mr. President, my dear colleagues that the South East Development Commission bill was passed by the National Assembly earlier this year, and was transmitted and assented to, by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.”

In his lead debate on the general principles of the North West Bill, the Senate Leader said:   “Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues, I respectively rise to lead the debate on the general principles of the North West Development Commission Act, 2024 (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 567), The bill was read for the first time on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

“In a nutshell, the bill seeks to amend the North West Development ; ‘ Commission Act, 2024, to provide for geo-political representation in the : Governing Board of the commission, and for other related matters.

”The bill also seeks to reconcile the lacuna that exists in the provisions, relating to the appointments of the chairman and managing director of the commission by ensuring that the two are not appointed from the same state of the zone as well as subject the appointments to the confirmation of the Senate in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.

“With the benefit of hindsight, Mr. President, colleagues, the North West Development Commission Bill was passed by the National Assembly earlier this year, and was transmitted and assented to, by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

”However, in the course of implementation of the legislation, it was observed that for effective representation, and in line with the principles of  federal character, it is imperative that membership of the commission be extended to the other geo-political zones of the country. This is in tandem with extant Acts, relating to the establishment of federal commissions.”