The Senate yesterday condemned the increasing spate terror attacks by
Boko Haram sect in the North-East, saying about five million Nigerians
have been displaced by the sect.
The concerned raised about the activities of the terror group
followed the second reading of two Bills seeking the establishment of
North-East Development Commission that would be responsible for the
rebuilding of the zone on the floor of the Senate.
One of the bills, entitled ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the
North-east Development Commission in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
address the devastation caused by insurgency and other connected matters
(2015)..’ was sponsored Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, while
Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South) sponsored the second one known as
‘A Bill for an Act to Establish North-East Development Commission
charged with the responsibility among other things to receive and
manage fund from allocation of the federation account and international
donors for the settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads,
houses and business premises of victims of insurgency and for other
related matters (2015)’.
The bills which were consolidated are seek to provide a legal
framework for the coordination of activities for rehabilitation of
internally displaced persons and reconstruction of infrastructure
destroyed in the North-East.
Painting a pathetic picture of what the people of the North-East were
going through in the hands of the insurgents, Gaya said over 15,000
lives were lost while over 5 million people were internally displaced
due to the crisis in the region.
He said in view of the level of devastation in the region, an urgent
well planned rescue programme to rebuild the region was necessary
because Nigeria has the largest population rate of Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs).
“While military activities continue in the affected areas, there was
an urgent need for the commission to help rehabilitate and reconstruct
infrastructure in the areas”.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki said the bill would be referred
to the Senate Committees on Establishment and Special Duties and be
expected in the Senate in four weeks for third reading.
Applauding the Gaya and Ndume for their effort in ensuring that the
consolidated bill passed second reading, Saraki noted that the progress
made with regard to the bill was evidence that the 8th Senate was
committed to rehabilitating the North-East.
He said, “We agreed that the issue of the North-East is not only for
the North-East but for the entire country. We made a commitment that we
will come up with a Bill that will address the problems in the region
and I am happy that we are doing that.
“Our work is not done yet, the committees responsible should ensure
to present the report in four weeks so that it can be read the third
time and passed. I am happy that our commitment shows Nigerians what we
have said, that this 8th Senate is representing Nigeria. We are not
representing our various constituencies or our parties. We are here to
serve Nigeria and I am very proud for what we have done today,’’ he
said.
Some senators who supported the bill included included those from the
North. They expressed their total support for the passage of the bill
to provide a lasting solution for the problem in the North-East.
The Senate also considered report of the Joint Committee on Banking,
Insurance and other Financial Institutions and Information Communication
Technology (ICT) and Cybercrime on Transactions Bill, 2015.
A report of the Committee on Aviation in respect of the motion on the
Need to Publish accident Investigation Report was also presented on the floor of the senate.
.Source;Vanguard
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