Regional development commissions will fasttrack Nigeria’s development -Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reaffirmed his endorsement of the creation of regional development commissions in Nigeria.

Speaking at his 2024 empowerment/ constituency briefing held at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio said it would fasttrack grassroots development in the country.

He said the 10th National Assembly under his leadership, supported the idea because democratic dividends must trickle down to the nooks and crannies of the country.

“We decided to create regional developmental nexus for the president to use in sending empowerment to most regions in Nigeria. And the 10th National Assembly believes strongly that development should go to the grassroots,” Akpabio said.

He listed some of the development commissions to be established to include the Northwest Development Commission, South West Development Commission, North Central Development Commission, and South South Development Commission.

Akpabio commended the people of his senatorial district for voting en-masse for President Tinubu, noting that over 119,000 out of 160,000 votes for the president actually came from his district.

“Votes from my senatorial district for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were more than the votes of the five states of the South East joined together.

“The South East must prove itself. The president has shown the South East love. He has signed the South East Development Commission into an Act of Parliament,” Akpabio said.

Akpabio also highlighted the allocation of key ministries to regions based on their needs, citing the Ministry of Works allocated to the South East and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) allocated to Akwa Ibom.

“The South East has a lot of ecological problems, very poor roads, just like the South South, and Mr. President decided to give us the Ministry of Works in addition to other key ministries. Akwa Ibom is sitting on gas and the future, and so the President gave us the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas),” he explained.

The Senate President urged the people of the South South and South East to continue supporting President Tinubu’s administration, noting that the president has shown love and commitment to the development of both regions: “I can tell you that one of the best decisions the president made for the South South region was his support, together with the party, the APC, that this region should once again produce the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The empowerment program, which was part of the event, saw the distribution of various items, including power generators, sewing machines, grinding machines, block moulding machines, and cassava processing machines, to the ten local government areas making up Akpabio’s senatorial district.

Other items distributed included cars, mini-buses, tricycles, tractors, bags of rice, freezers, and Hilux vans.

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