The lawmaker representing Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West Federal Constituency at Federal House of Representatives Abuja, Hon. Chris Nkwonta has disclosed that the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) will tackle insecurity, Infrastructural deficit, youth restiveness among others in the southeastern Nigeria.
The Chairman, House Committee on South-East Development Commission (SEDC), Federal House of Representatives who disclosed this to newsmen, following the commission‘s budget presentation and defence before the House Committee on South East Development Commission at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja yesterday.
The Abia-born Federal Legislator, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the SEDC bill into law, adding that the neglected South-East Nigeria would witness government presence in terms of critical infrastructural development.
In his words: “This budget essentially is going to target those areas where there were deficits in infrastructure, erosion, human capital development, among others.
He decried that since after the civil war, the South-East has been a shadow of itself and the promises made to our people at the end of the Civil War, remained elusive for about 54 years, until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the SEDC bills into law.
“The Commission is expected to build roads, bridges, railways, and manpower development. Although the money will not be enough, this is a takeoff grant. This is the beginning because the SEDC is a growing concern, and the President has given them this take-off grant of N250 Billion.
“The commission also expects money to come in from federal allocation. I am told that money will also likely come from the five Southeastern states, ecological funds coming into the country, and oil companies operating in the South East.
“Even though this is not enough, we need to start from somewhere. But we are grateful to the President that after six military heads of state and five democratically elected Presidents, attention has been given to the South-East,“ Nkwonta further added.
Earlier, the House of Representatives had approved the N250 billion budget of the SEDC for the financial year, after diligent scrutiny by the committee members at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
