His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, Nigeria National Assembly,
Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
Sir,
REQUEST FOR SPEEDY RETRIEVAL, CONSIDERATION, AND PASSAGE OF SOUTHEAST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BILL
I write to remind the 10th Assembly under your leadership of a pending bill sponsored during Dr. Bukola Saraki’s administration on the establishment of the Southeast Development Commission. This bill was initiated and presented before the house following the continued agitation for self-government by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to douse tension and bring the national government closer to the people of the eastern region.
In a federal presidential system of government, regionalizing development projects at the expense of others brings uneven development, crawling economy, undue hatred, ethnic bigotry, and other social challenges. We have experienced destruction, killings, and damage to innocent lives and properties due to the Biafra agitations.
The Southeastern region deserves consideration in the establishment of development projects and infrastructures, noting its viable contributions to the growth of the national economy. The region has been neglected, and your leadership is trusted to champion deliberations towards retrieving, considering, and adopting the abandoned bill.
Nigeria is a great nation with economic potentialities, and spreading development plans across the polity would trigger more yields than losses. Neglecting the yearnings of the Southeastern region has caused drawbacks, including security threats, development bottlenecks, and rising criminalities, affecting peace and harmony.
In the Southeast, criminal activities have taken hold, causing fear among innocent citizens. The federal government extracts revenue from the region, considering recent oil explorations and discoveries in Anambra and Enugu States, as well as the ongoing Owaza Seaport platforms in Abia State.
The region has not been justly treated, denied an additional component state, and feels marginalized. Truth is a force difficult to suppress, and acknowledging the challenges of the region creates an avenue for problem-solving.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was created to cushion underdevelopment, but it is not enough to balance the true development needs of the entire region. Similarly, the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) was established to address the effects of Boko Haram, and it has positively impacted the region.
Lack of government commitment in empowering youth through manpower training, job creation, and incentives contributes to socio-economic problems. Meaningfully engaging youth reduces crime prevalence and contributes to economic development.
The unknown gunmen attacking people in the Southeast require swift government attention. Strategic policies can surmount these ills.
The statutory obligations of existing development commissions in the South South and Northeast are not different from those in the Southeast. The same relief treatment should be extended to the Southeastern region, which has suffered inequality.
I request that you present this letter to your colleagues for treatment and approval.
Yours faithfully,
Chief Dr. Emeka Kalu
President, Eck Foundation
