48 members of the Northeast Caucus in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, moved a motion calling attention to marginalization of Northeast.
The motion moved by Zainab Gimba and 47 others bemoaned the infrastructure deficit in the region.
Moving the motion, she noted that the allocation to the Northeast Development Commission is insufficient to tackle the impact of insurgents on development in the region.
“Despite the deafening infrastructural being deficit faced in the Northeast, the Federal Government proposed the sum of 45.32 billion naira in the 2021 budget estimates for capital projects in the Northeast, representing a mere 0.35 per cent of the 13.02 trillion naira budget proposal which is grossly inadequate,” she said.
She also accused the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing of abandoning projects in the region.
“Provisions for road infrastructure by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is either delayed, slow or non-existent calling for thorough rejig on a road development plan in the North East and there is also no provision in the 2021 budget for Mambilla Hydro Power project that is meant to stabilize power supply in the zone.”
Adding that “sharing of 23 trillion naira post-COVID –19 Economic Stimulus for States, though appreciated, remains unfair in view of socio-economic challenges confronting the Northeast.”
The House, therefore, resolved that House Committees on Finance and Appropriations should meet with the Ministry of Finance and Planning to increase allocation to NEDC through service wide vote.
The Green Chamber also mandated the Committee on Finance to look into the sharing structure of COVID–19 Intervention Fund.
And mandated the Committee on Environment to ensure implementation of Climate Targeted Projects
