The North Central People’s Forum (NCPF) said the expeditious signing of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Bill into law would transform the North Central zone which has remained underdeveloped due to insecurity problems arising from farmer/herders clashes, banditry/kidnapping and flood disaster.

The forum stated this while urging President Bola Tinubu to expeditiously give assent to the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Bill after its anticipated concurrence by the House of Representatives.

Recall that the Senate passed the NCDC Bill recently. The bill will cater to states in the North Central, made up of Plateau, Nassarawa, Kogi, Benue, Niger, Kwara, and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Reacting to the Bill’s passage by the red chamber, NCPF chairman Engr. Sani Ndanusa said it came at the most appropriate time, “to assist towards rapid socio-economic development of the North Central zone of Nigeria, which had suffered great setbacks and neglect in the past.”

Ndanusa, in a statement, said states in the region are naturally endowed with arable land for agriculture, huge solid mineral deposits, oil and gas, long stretch of rivers Niger and Benue, as well as huge potential for tourism with beautiful and attractive sites such as Zuma rock, waterfalls and forest reserves, found in several locations in the zone.

“In spite it’s huge potentials, the North central zone has remained largely underdeveloped due to insecurity problems that has bedeviled its landscape, such as farmer/herders clashes, banditry/kidnapping, flood disaster, etc. which has hindered its people from engaging in productive economic activities, such as farming and trading.

“Similarly, as a result of constant violent killings due to farmers’/herders clashes, communal conflicts and other forms of insecurity, millions of its inhabitants were forced to live in IDP camps spread in school buildings and temporary structures.”

He said the establishment of the North Central Development Commission, with funds to be received from the federal government and international donor agencies, offer great opportunity for resettlement of displaced persons, reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of farmers/herders clashes and communal conflict, tackling developmental challenges of poverty/illiteracy, as well as creating enabling environment to attract investments into socio-economic sectors for rapid transformation and progress of the North Central zone.

“In view of these huge benefits from the establishment of the NCDC, the NCPF wishes to express its huge gratitude to the minority leader of the senate, Senator Abba Moro and other senators from the North central states, who persistently sponsored the establishment of the bill since the 9th senate until it was finally passed by the 10th senate. Similarly, the NCPF appreciates the leadership of the senate led by the senate president Godswill Akpabio, and other senators who supported the passage of the NCDC bill.

“The NCPF also wish to appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to expeditiously give his assent to the bill, after its anticipated concurrence by the House of Representatives, to enable speedy constitution of the North Central Development Commission, to fulfil its mandate for socio-economic transformation of the North Central zone,” the forum said.