By Christiana Ekpa
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill into law as a historic milestone that marks the end of the marginalization of the Igbo nation.
Kalu, speaking at a world press conference in Abuja, described the signing of the bill as a testament to the President’s commitment to healing the wounds of the past and promoting equitable economic growth and socio-cultural renewal in the South-East geopolitical zone.
He said “Let us view the signing of the SEDC bill into law as a testament to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s resolve to heal the wounds of the past, bury the rumors of the “marginalization of the South-East geopolitical zone,” and renew the hope of the nation towards equitable economic growth and socio-cultural renewal”.
While commending the president for assenting to the bill, Deputy Speaker Kalu said “Let me express my deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill into law yesterday.
“This is not just a legislative victory; it is a historic milestone for the South-East geopolitical zone. The commission will receive and manage funds from the allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the zone as a result of the civil war. It will also tackle ecological problems and other related environmental or developmental challenges in the South-East States, including Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi.
“This particular bill failed to be passed into law in the 8th and 9th National Assemblies, but like always, we are relentless in our collective drive for people-centered legislation. As we all know from our history, Nigeria’s transition from the unfortunate civil war exactly 54 years ago was hallmarked by the three “Rs”: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction.
