financial provision in the 2018 Budget for the take-off of the North
East Development Commission (NEDC).
The Senate also affirmed its commitment to the implementation of the
North-East Development Commission (NEDC) Act following the assent of
President Muhammadu Buhari on 26th October, 2017, to the NEDC Bill
passed by the National Assembly.
The signing of the Bill into law marks the establishment and take-off
of the North-East Development Commission.
Commenting on a motion raised at the plenary in the Senate, Wednesday,
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said the signing
into law of the NEDC Bill “marks a significant development in our
country’s humanitarian and development response to the crisis in the
North-East region.”
Through the establishment of the North-East Development Commission
(NEDC), resources from the Federal Government and international donors
will be coordinated and disbursed to meet the relief, recovery and
developmental needs for a region in desperate need of stability.
The President of the Senate decried the devastating impact of the
conflict on the public infrastructure and on the lives of millions of
Nigerians in the North-East. “According to the Borno State Ministry of
Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, in Borno State alone, over
950,000 houses, approximately 660 municipal buildings, and around 700
power distribution stations were destroyed during the insurgency.”
Another “over 5,000 schools, 200 health facilities and 1,600 water
supply sources were also razed.
“With such dire statistics, it is vital for the NEDC to coordinate the
planning of federal and state authorities to begin the work of
transitioning from humanitarian response to recovery activities. These
programmes must also include support to revive the livelihoods of the
local populations.”
The President of the Senate expressed confidence that standing up for
the NEDC will go a long way towards augmenting civilian-military
relations. “The military has greatly improved the security situation
in the region and has created an enabling environment for stability
and growing rehabilitation,” he said.
“We must all keep in mind that the creation of funding of the NEDC
alone will not resolve all of the issues in the North-East. However,
it must build and represent a better level of governance than what
existed before.”
He thanked the Senators from the North-East states who sponsored the
motion, saying, “They honourably represent the thousands of
communities and millions of people whose properties have been
destroyed and whose lives have been disrupted” as a result of the
crisis. “We can never forget the terrible price these Nigerians have
paid just to live in their homeland.”
Affirming commitment to defend, protect and rehabilitate all territory
and people within Nigeria’s national borders, the Senate also called
on Donor Agencies’ to continue their support for the North-East
through the newly established Commission.
No comments