Senate passes bill for establishment of northeast development commission

‎The senate has passed a bill for the establishment of a northeast development commission, which will be mandated to initiate and oversee the development of the region.

The bill was initiated in response to the largescale destruction of infrastructure‎, lives and property by Boko Haram in the northeast.

The consideration of the bill had at different times been postponed owing to disagreement over some of its clauses.

The joint committees on special duties, establishment and public service, chaired by Murtala Nyako, present‎ed their report on the bill on Thursday, after which a consideration of its clauses commenced.

One of the contentious clauses seeks the allocation of three percent value-added-tax accruable to the federal government to the northeast for 10 years.

Also, where the headquarters of the commission would be situated had been a subject of controversy, but upper legislative chamber settled for Maiduguri.

Commenting on the bill after its passage, Bukola Saraki, senate president, said it would help in bringing infrastructural development to the‎ northeast.

And he thanked his colleagues for making sure the bill saw the light of day.