The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill establishing the North-Central Development Commission.
PUNCH Online reports that Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the signing of the bill by Presidrnt Bola Tinubu during Tuesday’s plenary session in the Senate chamber.
“Let me also inform my colleagues that Mr President has assented to the North-Central Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024, in order to bring development to the grassroots,” Akpabio said while making the announcement.
Reacting to the establishment of the new commission, the North-Central APC Forum, in a statement by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, described Tinubu as a listening president.
The statement read: “The North-Central APC Forum commends President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill establishing the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC).
“The President’s action shows that he is a listening leader. He has heard the cries of the North-Central APC Forum, which has long agitated for the creation of a development commission for the North-Central, as has been done for other geopolitical zones—for the sake of equity and justice.
“Just a few days ago, we raised concerns that the exclusion of the North-Central in the N2.493 trillion allocated to regional development commissions in the proposed 2025 budget amounted to injustice and marginalisation.
“We emphasised that such an oversight is unacceptable to the people of the North-Central, who deserve to be treated as equals to other Nigerians rather than subjected to marginalisation and neglect.
“For us in the North-Central APC Forum, the exclusion was even more worrisome because, in the last election, after the South-West, the North-Central had the second-highest level of general acceptability for President Bola Tinubu.
“Today, we feel vindicated for supporting President Tinubu in the 2023 election. He has listened to our concerns.”
The forum further stated that the President’s action had justified the region’s confidence in him, which had prompted the forum to endorse him for a second term.
“The establishment of the North-Central Development Commission will accelerate development in the region. It will also ensure that the North-Central does not lag behind other regions in terms of infrastructure and economic growth.
“We also commend members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, including leaders of the North-Central, who played various roles in the establishment of this commission.
“We equally call on all the people of the North-Central to support this noble initiative in any way they can to ensure the commission delivers on its mandate.”
The APC Forum also called for a supplementary budget to fund projects under the North-Central Development Commission within the 2025 fiscal year, as is the case with other regions.
“We expect that the President will send a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to ensure that the NCDC is included in the N2.493 trillion allocated to regional development commissions in the 2025 budget,” it added.
