Why NASS endorsed Tinubu’s creation of regional devt commissions – Akpabio
UYO – SENATE President, Godswill Akpabio, has said the 10th National Assembly (NASS) overwhelmingly supported the creation of regional developmental nexus for President Bola Tinubu to use in cascading empowerment to most regions in strong belief that development should go to the grassroot.
Akpabio who represents Ikot Ekpene (Akwa Ibom Northwest) senatorial district of Akwa Ibom state made the remark Monday during his 2024 Empowerment/Constituency briefing held at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium.
He urged the people of South South and South East to continue to support Tinubu’s administration, noting that has he shown love and commitment to the development of both regions.
He particularly commended the people of his senatorial district for voting massively for President Tinubu, noting that over 119,000 out of 160,000 votes for the president actually came from his district.
His words, “We didn’t come to make any speech today but to tell the good people of Akwa Ibom State particularly, Ikot Ekpene senatorial district thank you for your good choice, thank you for your wisdom, vision and thank you for re-electing Senator Godswill Akpabio into the 10th senate.
“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 Act of Parliament .
“And the 10th National Assembly believes strongly that development should go to the grassroot, and therefore we decided to create regional developmental nexus for the president to use in sending empowerment to most regions in Nigeria.
“So we have the Northwest Development Commission, already signed, we have South West Development Commission about to be signed. We have the North Central Development Commission almost being signed.
“We also have the South South Development Commission about to be signed. In addition key ministries have been allocated not on the basis of votes, but on the needs basis.
“The South East has a lot 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 Minister of Petroleum Resources, (Gas).
“I don’t need to say more than that. 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 items distributed to the ten Local government areas making up Akpabio’s senatorial district include power generators, sewing, grinding, block moulding Machines and cassava processing machines.
Others items were cars, mini buses, tricycles (keke napep), tractors, bags of rice, freezers tricycles, motorcycles and Hilux Vans.
