Dogara’s N’East Devt Commission, Whistle Blower Protection Bills Pass Second Reading.

*Bags Leadership Politician of the Year award


A bill seeking the establishment of the North East Development Commission, following the destruction caused the region by the activities of the Boko Haram sect, yesterday passed second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill, sponsored by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, wants the establishment of the commission, in a similar manner to the Niger Delta Development Commission, to oversee planning, execution and co-ordination of a coherent development program for the socio- economic resuscitation of the North-east Region.

It is named the “Bill for an Act to Establish the North East Development Commission charged with the responsibility, among other things to receive and manage funds from Allocation from the Federation Account and International Donors for the Settlement, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Roads, Houses and Business Premises of Victims of Insurgency, and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.”

Dogara, who is from one of the troubled states, Bauchi, citing official figures, said the Boko Haram crises has caused about 700,000 casualties, outsides the about two million people displaced.

He added that the population of the six states: Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba, which was put at about 18.2 million residents has been extremely depleted by the activities of the sect.

This, Dogara noted has resulted in the shutting down of economic activities, with family life and livelihood completely destroyed.
It is therefore necessary to establish a commission, for a ‘marshal plan’ for the reconstruction of the region, the Speaker added.

Speaking in favour of the bill, the Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the development component of the bill makes it more essential to the region, rather than just the palliative measures, especially as the NDDC, which it can be fashioned after, has helped improve the welfare of the people in the region.

Gbajabiamila also advised that some of the monies being recovered from those who looted the treasury, be diverted to rebuild the North-east.

Dogara’s bill seeking the protection and reward for whistle blowers also passed second reading.
The bill is for ‘an Act to Provide for the Manner in which individuals may in public interest, disclose information that relates to crime, unlawful conduct or corrupt practices of others, to provide for the protection against victimisation of persons who make these disclosures, to establish a fund for the sake of rewarding individuals who make the disclosures, and thereby enhance crime information gathering for security utilisation.”

Two other bills sponsored by the Speaker passed second reading.
They are “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Personal Data Protection to regulate the processing of information relating to individuals including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information”, and “a Bill for an Act to Provide for Corporate Manslaughter to make Corporate organisations criminally liable for death of employees arising from their acts of omission...”
Meanwhile Dogara has been named the Leadership Newspaper Politician of the Year 2015.

The Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Pally Iriase, brought the award to the attention of the lawmakers in a point of order he raised at plenary yesterday.
Iriase therefore call his colleagues to show up and honour the Speaker at the award ceremony which would hold at a later date.