Chekwas Okorie, founder and chairman of the board of trustees (BoT) of All Grand Progressives Alliance (APGA), has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing the south-east development commission bill into law.
In a statement on Thursday, Okorie said the action of the president would heal the wounds of civil war.
He added that the coming of the commission will restore to the sense of belonging to the people of the south-east.
“I wish to commend President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the south-east development commission bill,” the statement reads.
“It will be recalled that this bill was first sponsored in 2017 by Hon. Chukwuka Onyema representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State in the House of Representatives. It did not survive second reading.
“In this year of our Lord 2024, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives resuscitated the bill and expanded its scope. It is with improved lobbying and more friendly House of Representatives that saw to the passage of the bill with commendable speed.
“The Senate did not delay in giving its concurrent. And when the bill was submitted to the President for assent the processes were carried out expeditiously which gave birth to what has now become the south-east Development Commission Act.
“It is heartwarming that this Act among other specified objectives is principally aimed at addressing the infrastructural and other developmental deficits which resulted from the fratricidal Nigeria – Biafra war that ended in 1970.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria under General Yakubu Gowon announced the policy of No Victor, No Vanquished and pledged to implement the programme of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (3R) in the war-ravaged part of the then Biafra enclave which is now in the south-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
“The commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver on the 3R was observed in the breach. For a period of approximately 50 years after the end of the war there was no visible federal presence in accordance with the objective of the 3R.
“It is in this light that I see the patriotic action of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in enacting the South East Development Commission Act as a bold step to heal the wounds of the civil war and restore to the people of the South East geopolitical zone their well deserved and long overdue sense of belonging in Nigeria.
“We look forward to a sincere and honest funding of the commission to carry out its core objectives.
“I urge our people at home and at the Diaspora to cooperate and collaborate with the Federal Government of Nigeria to help the commission to achieve the lofty objectives for which it is established. It is said that it is better late than never.
“After more than 50 years of the end of the war the promise made then is about to be fulfilled under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
