Bill for an Act to establish the Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) scaled the second reading yesterday in the Senate.
But the debate generated uproar as senators were divided over the desirability or otherwise of the proposed legislation.
While some spoke in favour of the Bill, others opposed it.
The Bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to establish the South West Development Commission to act as a catalyst to develop the commercial and industrial potentials of the South West, to receive and manage funds from allocation of the Federation for the Agricultural and Industrial Development of the South West and any other related educational backwardness as well as security and development challenges and other connected matters, 2020” was sponsored by former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central).
In his lead debate, he said: “The push for the establishment of the South West Development Commission is an attempt to address the dwindling fortunes of the region by implementing a regional development plan, taking into consideration the region’s unique endowments, natural advantages and capabilities.
“This commission, if passed into law, will enhance regional integration, which is capable of delivering the benefits of large economies of scale.”
Those opposed to the Bill argued that the Southwest was ahead of others in development strides.
After the Bill had passed the second reading, Senate President Ahmad Lawan referred it to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Services for further legislative work.
Also, the House of Representatives yesterday passed for second reading, a Bill seeking to establish a development commission for the Southsouth.
The Bill, sponsored by Awaji-Inombek Abiante, was first read on the floor of the House for the first time on December 19, 2019.
It seeks to establish a Southsouth Development Commission charged with the responsibility to receive and manage funds from the Federation Account allocation and other sources, donations, grants, aids for the integration, development, resolution of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crisis as well and tackle ecological and environmental problems.
Last week, the House passed for second reading the Southwest Development Commission.
Abiante said the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which is supposedly a development commission for the Southsouth, was not created for region but for all oil-producing states in the country.
He said the Bill seeks to establish the South-South Development Commission to serve as springboard for the engagement, integration and development of the region.
The Bill, according to the lawmaker, aims at resolving issues of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crises as well as the ecological problems and (any) other related environmental or developmental challenges in the region.
Abiante noted that the North East Development Commission was functioning while the Bill for the establishment of the Southwest Development Commission had scaled second reading.
He added that the Bills for the establishment of other zonal development commissions were also in the works at various stages.

By Tony Akowe