Senate alters N/W, S/E Development Commission Acts over MD, Chairmanship Positions

***Approves South-South Development Commission Bill for Second Reading

The Senate has commenced the process to amend the Northwest and Southeast Development Commission Acts, specifically addressing the allocation of Managing Director and Chairmanship positions.
Additionally, the Senate passed the South-South Development Commission Bill for second reading, further advancing efforts to establish the commission.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, while presenting the amendments, explained that the proposed changes to the Northwest Development Commission Act, 2024, aim to ensure fair geopolitical representation within the commission’s Governing Board. One key amendment is to prevent the appointment of both the Chairman and Managing Director from the same state in the zone, while also mandating Senate confirmation of these appointments, as required by the Nigerian Constitution.

“To uphold fairness and align with the federal character principle, it is necessary that the commission’s membership reflects other geopolitical zones, in line with the Acts governing federal commissions,” Bamidele said.

A similar rationale was provided for the proposed amendments to the Southeast Development Commission Act.

Following the second reading, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stressed the importance of the amendments, noting that they are essential for the smooth operation of the development commissions in both regions.

Meanwhile, the Senate also approved the South-South Development Commission Bill for second reading, just months after initially rejecting it. The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River South) and supported by Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), received overwhelming support across party lines.

During the debate, Senator Dickson clarified that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), often misconstrued as a zonal entity, is actually a resource-based commission addressing the environmental damage caused by oil exploration across several states. He noted that the NDDC serves not just the South-South, but parts of the Southeast and Southwest as well, while the proposed South-South Development Commission would be zonal.

With strong backing from the Senate, President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Special Duties and requested a report within one week.