The Senate has fast-tracked the passage of a bill to establish the South South Development Commission (SSDC), designed to address development and ecological challenges within the South South region. The SSDC bill successfully passed its second reading on the floor of the Red Chamber in Abuja on Thursday, receiving overwhelming support from senators.
There are also signs that the Senate may amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act to allow for a name change, ensuring the inclusion of any oil-bearing community across Nigeria, regardless of geographical location.
Last July, the SSDC bill faced opposition, primarily from northern senators, who argued that it would duplicate the functions of the NDDC. However, after consultations, the bill was reintroduced and gained significant backing from the Senate.
Differentiating the SSDC from the NDDC
Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River South), who sponsored the bill, alongside former Bayelsa State Governor Sen. Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), articulated the distinctions between the SSDC and NDDC during the debate.
Ekpenyong noted that, unlike the NDDC—which also covers states outside the Niger Delta such as Abia, Ondo, and Imo because of their oil production—the SSDC would focus on all South South states, regardless of their oil production status.
He emphasized, “The commission will resolve ecological problems and other development challenges in all the South South states, beyond what happens in the Niger Delta areas.”
Ekpenyong further argued that it would be unfair to create development commissions for the other zones of the country and exclude the South South on the excuse of having NDDC when some of the states in the other zones are also benefiting from the allocations of the NDDC.
Dickson added, “The state [Cross River] virtually gets nothing from NDDC, but with the South South commission, it will now benefit. This applies to many other communities in the South South.”
The senators further highlighted that the SSDC would address the broader developmental needs of the South South geopolitical zone, while the NDDC is resource-based, specifically targeting oil-producing regions.
Calls for NDDC Reform and Broader Representation
Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) proposed a name change for the NDDC to reflect oil-bearing communities nationwide, not just in the Niger Delta. He argued that oil-producing states outside the Niger Delta—such as Gombe, Bauchi, Kogi, Lagos, and Ogun—should be included in the commission. “We have to look at the NDDC’s Act and change the name to oil-bearing or producing areas development commission,” Jibrin said.
He also emphasized, “Any state that produces oil in the future should automatically become part of the NDDC.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported the idea, stating, “That any state that produces oil in commercial quantities in the future will automatically be part of the NDDC.”
Additional Amendments to NWDC and SEDC Acts
Meanwhile, the Senate also passed for second reading amendments to the NWDC and SEDC Acts. The NWDC amendment seeks to ensure geographical representation on the commission’s Governing Board by preventing the chairman and managing director from being appointed from the same state.
A similar amendment to the SEDC Act aims to remove the “alphabetical order” clause from Section 13, ensuring that the chairman and managing director are not appointed from the same state within the South East zone.
Both amendments were proposed by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti-Central).
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