Senate Passes North East Devt Commission Bill

The Senate yesterday passed the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) Bill into law, which empowers the federal government to set up an independent commission to fast-track the rehabilitation and development of the North-east region devastated by insurgency.
The Senate however widened the commission’s area of coverage by including Kano and Plateau states on the list of states to benefit from its operations and activities alongside Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states.
The decision followed an amendment put forward by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano Central) during the clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, that given the fact that the two states were also hit by terrorist attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents, it was only proper that they are included as beneficiaries of the interventionist commission.
Recall that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also has Abia and Ondo states, which are not located in the Niger Delta region as members of the commission.
The Senate also approved the allocation of 3 per cent of the country’s Value Added Tax (VAT) to NEDC for a period of 10 years even as the three senators representing Lagos State kicked against the approval of the 3 per cent VAT allocation to the commission, saying that their earlier request for 1 per cent VAT for Lagos was rejected by the same chamber.

We Learnt that Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), had sponsored a Bill to make provisions for Federal Grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio-economic significance but the proposed law was thrown out by the Senators.

The lawmakers also resolved the controversy surrounding the location of the headquarters of the commission by settling for the capital of Borno State, Maiduguri.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Caucus in the Senate has renewed its appeal, urging the Senate to accommodate Lagos state by revisiting and passing the Bill seeking to grant the former federal capital a special status into law.

The rejected Bill seeks, among others, the Senate to approve 1% of the nation’s VAT to Lagos state as a former federal capital of Nigeria.

Addressing press conference yesterday shortly after plenary, Senators Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) and Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West) said it was wrong for the Senate to approve 3% of VAT for the North East Commission without considering Lagos’ earlier request.

The lawmakers, who hinted that the Bill would be reintroduced in the Senate, said that “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander”.

“Every one of us knows that 68 percent vat nationwide comes from Lagos. Two weeks ago, a bill by Senator Oluremi Tinibu was presented, asking the Senate to approve 1 percent for Lagos state as a former federal capital but the bill was not passed. We feel we should present our feelings to the press and Nigerians; we are appealing to Nigerians to assist us ensure that they give us listening ear.

“We the contributor of 70 percent of the vat income believe that 1 percent is not too much. We are calling on the Senate to accommodate Lagos one percent vat bill. It has been agreed by our constituents to reintroduce the bill and we believe that our colleagues and all Nigerians will support us,” Senator Ashafa said.