Reps Approve N250bn Budget For SEDC

The House of Reps Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC) has approved N250 billion budget for the Commission for the 2025 fiscal year.

Chairman of the Committee, Chuks Ukwanta, disclosed this to newsmen on Monday at the National Assembly.

He expressed optimism that the approval of the budget will mark the beginning of good things in the South East geopolitical zone.

Ukwanta commended President Bola Tinubu for signing the SEDC bill into law, saying that with the budget, neglected parts of the South East will now witness government presence in terms of infrastructural development.

He said, “You are aware that since after the civil war, the South East has been. What it ought to be. Remember that at the end of the Civil War, there was this promise that was made to us.

“You know the three R’s, and till 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 is essentially going to target those areas where there is deficit in infrastructure, erosion and other areas of human capital development.

“The Commission will be expected to build roads, bridges, railways and manpower development.

“Although the money will not be enough, this is just a takeoff grant. This is just the beginning because the SEDC is just 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 is also expected to come from the five South Eastern states, from ecological funds coming into the country, and from 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.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Even those boys that are causing trouble, when they see that the region is now being taken care of, what they are doing now will not continue.

“If you want to develop the South East, there has to be leave. If there is no peace and. Security, there is nothing we can do. Some of the items in the budget are aimed at addressing insecurity, unemployment and youth development”.

Reps Approve N250bn Budget For SEDC is first published on The Whistler Newspaper