A bill for the establishing of North West Development Commission has passed the second reading in the Senate.
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This followed the presentation of the lead debate by sponsor of the bill Sen. Jibrin Barau (APC-Kano North) during Wednesday’s plenary.
The bill was entitled “A Bill for an Act to establish the North West Development Commission to act as a catalyst to develop the commercial and industrial potential of the North West.
Barau, in his lead debate, said that the bill was co-sponsored by all senators from North West geo-political zone.
He noted that the bill sought to establish the North West Development Commission “to act as a catalyst to develop the arrays of potential of the North West as well as address the gap in infrastructural development of the region.”
The North West as a region, according to him, has contributed immensely to the overall development of Nigeria in terms of agriculture and “yet the region remains hugely underdeveloped.”
He insisted that what the region required now from the Federal Government was support to develop its infrastructure and educate its teeming youths.
Barau added that this would enable the zone to drive the process of development to grow.
Barau said: “The infrastructure of the zone has been immensely destroyed by the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, armed bandits and Kidnappers across the region leading to exodus of investors, businessmen, managers of companies and employees.
“This destruction is having a major impact on the economy of the region as it has led to severe food shortages, unemployment in a region that has traditionally produced cash and food crops across the Sahel.
Contributing, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu (PDP-Enugu West) urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider his earlier decision not to sign the South East Development Commission Bill passed by the 8th National Assembly and give his assent to the bill for the rapid development of the geopolitical zone.
“Whereas the 8th National Assembly passed the North East and South East Development Commission Bills and transmitted same to President Buhari for his assent but regrettably, the president gave his assent to North East Development Commission Bill and denied assent to the South East Development Commission Bill.
” The executive arm should be more proactive and less discriminatory in attending to such bills that would make for rapid development of the six geopolitical zones in the country,” he said.
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.
President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service for further legislative action.