Senate President Godswill Akpabio has disclosed why President Bola Tinubu’s creation of a regional developmental nexus was supported by the National Assembly.
Speaking during his 2024 Empowerment/Constituency briefing held at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, Akwa Ibom on Monday, Akpabio said the move was backed as it will be used in cascading empowerment to most regions as development should go to the grassroots.
While calling for continued support for Tinubu’s administration, he added that the president has shown love and commitment to the development of the south-south and the southeast regions.
“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 southeast must prove itself. The president has shown the South East love. He has signed the South East Development Commission into an Act of Parliament.
“And the 10th National Assembly believes strongly that development should go to the grassroots, and therefore we decided to create a 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 Southeast has a lot of 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,” Akpabio said.