The House of Representatives is about to establish development commissions for no fewer than three geopolitical zones.
They include the South-West, South-South and the South-East.
The House is making the consideration as the Senate is also processing similar bills.
This is coming as the Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission are already in existence.
Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 80 other lawmakers suspected to be members from Yoruba-speaking states, introduced a bill seeking to establish a South-West Development Commission.
The South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2019 passed the first reading at the plenary on December 11, 2019.
The South-West geopolitical zone has six states, namely Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti.
Later on December 17, 2019, the lawmaker representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State, Mr Henry Nwawuba, introduced the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2019, which passed the first reading.
The South-East zone has five states, namely Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi.
In the South-South, there are six states, namely Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo and Bayelsa.
On December 20, 2019, the South South Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2019 emerged in the House. It was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of River State, Mr Awaji-Inombek Abiante.
The SSDC would be established despite the existence of the NDDC.
Though the NDDC covers all the states in the South-South, states in other geopolitical zones are under it, namely Ondo (South-West), Abia and Imo (both in the South-East).
Meanwhile, another member, Mr Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, earlier on December 18, 2019, added to the drama by introducing the Zonal Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2019 which the House has also admitted.
Meanwhile, at the Senate, former governor of Ogun State and lawmaker representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Ibikunle Amosun, had earlier on November 14, 2019, introduced a bill to establish the SWDC.
After Amosun, Senator Sani Musa had introduced the North Central Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2019. The North-Central is made up of Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
Senator Jibrin Barau had on November 26 reintroduced a bill seeking to establish the North West Development Commission.
The 8th National Assembly had yet to pass the bill before it wound down.
In the North-West, there are Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto states.
Another bill seeking to establish the South East Development Commission has been introduced in the Senate.
A member of the House, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said sponsors of the bills would have to convince lawmakers on the nece
