An apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has applauded the National Assembly effort over the passage of the South-East Development Commission, SEDC, bill to its final stage. Recall, the Senate had on Thursday passed the bill for final reading two months after its passage by the House of Representatives.
During plenary last week, Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi, the Senator representing Ekiti Central enjoined his colleagues that the Bill for an Act to act as catalyst to develop the commercial potentials of the South East and for other Connected Matters, 2024 (HB.626)for concurrence and second reading
The House of Representatives had during December last year 2023 okayed the long-awaited bill after years of agitation and pogrom from the southeast part of the country especially when it was thrown into turmoil recently.
Although, the Bill was passed by the 8th Senate, however, it failed to receive assent from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Accordingly, vigil360 learned this morning that, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said the passage of the bill was a dream comes true for Ndigbo.
Okwu, applauded the Senate leadership under Senator Godswill Akpabio for passing the bill without haste, saying that “we have always expressed our unflinching support to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his statement, “We know that under his watch, every section of Nigeria will get due legislative attention without much ado and that is exactly what has happened.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council equally lauds the House of Representatives for taking the lead in December last year.
“It is clear that we have responsive and capable leaders in both chambers of the National Assembly.”
The youth leader was optimistic that the development would lead the southeast region into massive development while calling on president Tinubu to assent to the bill.
Okwu added, “Our appeal to the father of the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is to sign this bill into law as soon as possible.
“The former administration, out of their hatred for Ndigbo refused to allow it sail through even after it was passed.
“We are glad that the bill is alive again; so, our appeal to Mr President is to sign it into law in order to facilitate the long awaited development of the South-East, a region that has suffered unprecedented neglect,” Okwu further stated.