The House of Representatives has approved the N250 billion budget of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) for the 2025 financial year.
This followed the commission‘s budget presentation and defence before the House Committee on South East Development Commission at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday.
The committee‘s chairman, Hon Chris Nkwonta, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the end of the budget defence session and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the SEDC bill into law.
The lawmaker said that with the budget, the neglected part of the South East will now witness government presence in infrastructural development.
“This budget essentially is going to target those areas where there were deficits in infrastructure, erosion and other areas of human capital development. You are aware that since after the civil war, the South East has been. What it ought to be. Remember that this promise was made to us at the end of the Civil War.
“You know the three R‘s, and until today, that has not been done until this President signed the bill into law. We are talking about 54 years after the Civil War. This budget will target areas with deficits in infrastructure, erosion, and other areas of human capital development.
“The Commission is expected to build roads, bridges, railways, and manpower development. Although the money will not be enough, this is a takeoff grant. This is the beginning because the SEDC is a growing concern, and the President has given them this take-off grant.
“The commission also expects money to come in from federal allocation. I am told that money will also likely come from the five Southeastern states, ecological funds coming into the country, and oil companies operating in the South East.
“Even though this is not enough, we need to start from somewhere. But we are grateful to the President that after six military heads of state and five democratically elected Presidents, attention has been given to the South East,“ he added.
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