Bizibi:
you mean lagos is the only state in the whole of south west,sw need development not one state.

backtosender:
keep deceiving your ignorant sef...your future children are all drug addicts kids roaming around your dirty streets including almajiris kids......those hungry kids carrying plates begging for food in 21st century.... The worst thing is that those hungry kids hangs around mama put waiting for left overs.. I got no options than give them my left over from my plate..I don't have regard for you people keep your first class for your politcal slaves in sw

Wyttcat:
Lagos state needs to have a special status and we should have allowed the bill to pass before talking about the rest of SW.

Yoruba and K'ENI MANI! These are two different things. You sit before stretching your legs. We can get Lagos to have special status and still get money for the development of SW.

rollybest:
House of Representatives was again thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday, forcing a hasty adjournment of proceedings .
The cause of the rowdiness was the rejection of a bill seeking to establish a South - East Development Commission
The bill failed at the session , which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr . Yakubu Dogara, after it had been debated.
A similar bill to establish the North- East Development Commission had since been passed by the National Assembly, awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, South - East lawmakers immediately protested the decision on the grounds that the House could have, at least , allowed the bill to pass the second reading for more views to be collated from Nigerians at a public hearing.
Tension had built up in the House since Wednesday when the bill was billed to be moved for second reading .
However, it was stepped down on Wednesday because the lead sponsor and Deputy Minority Leader of the House , Mr . Chukwuka Onyeama, was unavailable in the chambers .
He returned soon after the bill was stood down.
The bill was re -listed for Thursday ( yesterday) , but again , Onyeama was unavailable just as the bill was to be taken and it had to be stood down a second time in line with the rules of proceedings .
But South -East lawmakers began a loud protest, insisting that the bill must be taken.
In the midst of the rowdiness , Onyeama reappeared in the chambers, just like he did on Wednesday after the bill had been stood down.
Dogara had to bend backwards to approve a motion for the rescission of the earlier ruling stepping down the bill .
The speaker said , “ Let me clarify that it was not as if the bill was stopped . The sponsor of the bill was not around and we followed the rules to step it down.
“ Now that he is here , we will take it. Nobody will shut out anybody because we don’ t have the right to do that. ”
Dogara calmed frayed nerves and opened debate on the bill.
Onyeama, while leading the debate , said the South - East geopolitical zone needed the commission to develop collapsed infrastructure and the damage suffered by the zone as a result of the Nigerian Civil War .
“ The war led to massive destruction of critical infrastructure in the region , including roads, houses and environmental degradation , ” he said .
Onyeama added that the region was worst -hit by erosion and other ecological problems.
The lawmaker stated that the commission would be funded from seven sources.
The first is through “ 15 per cent” of the total monthly statutory allocations due to member states of the commission from the Federation Account.
The second source, he explained, would be from “ three per cent ” of the total budget of any oil - producing company operating onshore and offshore in the South - East states , including gas processing companies.
The third source is from “ three per cent ” of the total annual budget of any solid mineral extracting or mining company operating in the South - East.
The fourth source will come through “ 50 per cent ” of money due to member states of the commission from the Ecological Fund.
Five to seven of the funding sources are ” Such monies as may , from time to time , be granted or lent to or be deposited with the commission by the Federal Government or a state government , any other body or institution , whether local or foreign.
All monies raised for the purpose of the commission by way of gifts , loans, grants - in-aid , testamentary disposition or otherwise .
“ Proceeds from all other assets that may , from time to time , accrue to the commission. ”
All South - East members , who spoke , including Mr . Uzoma Nkem- Abonta, Mr . Henry Nwawuba and Mr . Toby Okechukwu, said they gave “ 100 per cent ” backing to the bill.
For instance , Nkem- Abonta argued that he believed the bill was the solution to the renewed agitation for the Republic of Biafra .
“ We have to stop the crisis that is building up in the South - East before it turns into something else, ” he said .
Members from the South -South , led by the Minority Leader , Mr . Leo Ogor , also supported the bill .
“ Every zone deserves a commission because this country needs to be restructured. We cannot continue this way, ” Ogor told the House .
Mr . Kehinde Agboola , who spoke for the South -West, said , “ History will not forgive us if today we fail to support this bill. ”
However, trouble started when all the lawmakers from the North spoke against the bill .
Members from North -West , North- East and North- Central , all opposed the bill .
For example , Mr . Mohammed Sani -Abdu opposed the bill on the grounds that it was a move to “ divide Nigeria in piecemeal. ”
He observed that coming soon after the government was trying to address the devastation caused by Boko Haram in the North -East, the timing of the bill was wrong .
Sani -Abdu recalled that after the civil war ended in 1970, government made concerted efforts to rebuild the South -East and re -integrate the people into the rest of Nigeria .
He argued that funding of the commission, using “ three per cent” of the annual budget of oil companies operating in the South - East was indirect funding by the Federal Government .
Another member from the North, Mr . Karimi Sunday , said some South - East states were already benefiting from the funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission by the oil companies.
“ Are we going to ask the same oil companies to fund the South - East Development Commission again ?
“ Are we saying that every zone should come up with its own development commission?” he asked .
When Dogara put the bill to a voice vote , he ruled in favour of those rejecting the commission. For clarity purpose , he called the votes twice before bringing down his gavel .
But South -East lawmakers began another round of protests as Dogara handed over proceedings to the Deputy Speaker, Mr . Yussuff Lasun , and left the chambers .
Lasun quickly adjourned the House as the rowdiness worsened.
Outside the chambers, South -East lawmakers continued the protest.
Onyeama threatened that he would resign his position as a leader of the House .
“ I am a leader in this House ; you can’ t just kill my bill like that. I will resign , ” he fumed.
Another member from Abia State , Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha , said her colleagues were not happy that the bill was rejected.
“ At least , they could have passed it for second reading .
“ At the committee stage , more work could have been done on it to remove the grey areas, ” she said .
One member from Rivers State , Boma Goodhead , joined in the protest, saying the North was not fair to the South - East.

“ They are using our oil money to address the issue of Boko Haram . Now , they are against this bill . It is not fair, ” she shouted and walked away angrily.


source:punch newspaper

Wyttcat:
What the hell are you talking about? Lagos needs that money more than any other state because it's holding the largest population in Nigeria. Lagos should be taking part of other states monthly allocation due to the burden it's carrying from Nigeria. When Ogun, Osun and others get there they will apply for same.

7lives:


Stop lumping SW with your agenda, who among your folks support the Lagos bill?.

rollybest:
House of Representatives was again thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday, forcing a hasty adjournment of proceedings .

....Onyeama threatened that he would resign his position as a leader of the House .
“ I am a leader in this House ; you can’ t just kill my bill like that. I will resign , ” he fumed.
Another member from Abia State , Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha , said her colleagues were not happy that the bill was rejected.
“ At least , they could have passed it for second reading .
“ At the committee stage , more work could have been done on it to remove the grey areas, ” she said .
One member from Rivers State , Boma Goodhead , joined in the protest, saying the North was not fair to the South - East.

“ They are using our oil money to address the issue of Boko Haram . Now , they are against this bill . It is not fair, ” she shouted and walked away angrily.


source:punch newspaper

Wyttcat:
What was the OMUGO Yoruba rep. Kehinde Agboola thinking supporting this bill when no single ibo rep supported Lagos to get some of the funds awarded NE? Yoruba say makan makan ni oye nkan. Don't speak up for your neighbor if he was silent through your own ordeal.

Yoruba, we need to get our acts together and start calling people like rep. Kehinde Agboola out, he's an omo ale jatijati!

EzeUche:
One Nigeria Igbos, do you see this? Igbos do you see how they treat our most simplest of demands? You see where "sophistication" politics get us?

Candyrain:


No one supported the bill because it seem selfish. The bill would have been supported if it was a SWDC bill. Singling out Lagos alone out of all the SW states isn't fair