A Bill seeking to establish a South East Development Commission (SEDC) was read for the first time at the Senate on Wednesday 22nd June 2016. The Bill is sponsored by Senators Samuel Anyanwu (PDP:Imo) and Stella Oduah (PDP:Anambra).
Although the objectives of the Bill will be stated at its second reading, it is thought that it might be a response to the calls for the establishment of a North East Development Commission (NEDC) Bill which was introduced to the Senate on 8th October, 2015. The Report on the NEDC Bill is presently being re-assessed by an Ad-hoc Committee that was mandated to amend the Bill to include a financial provision on how the Commission will be funded and the location of the headquarters of the Commission.
Advocates of the NEDC Bill argue that the Commission will bring hope and employment in the North East region, which continues to be threatened by insurgency. The SEDC Bill and the NEDC Bill is thought to be modeled around the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which was established in 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil rich Niger-Delta region of the Country.
