Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Chairman of the Governing Board of the South-South Development Commission, SSDC, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, has thrown his weight behind a bill seeking to expand the Commission’s funding sources, saying it will enable the agency to tackle the region’s environmental, ecological and infrastructure challenges more effectively.
Nwuche stated this at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission on a bill to amend the SSDC Establishment Act, 2025.
The proposed amendment seeks to broaden the Commission’s statutory revenue base through contributions from extractive industries, agricultural processing companies, allocations from the Ecological Fund and a share of Value Added Tax, VAT, proceeds.
Speaking at the hearing, Nwuche, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, described the review of the Commission’s funding framework as “timely and necessary.”
“The proposed amendments appropriately respond to the realities of development financing and would place the South-South Development Commission on an equitable footing with other regional development commissions across the country,” he said.
He noted that funding provisions such as a 3% contribution from oil and gas-producing companies, contributions from agricultural processing and mining firms, and allocations from the Ecological Fund already exist for comparable regional development commissions.
He questioned why the South-South Development Commission should continue operating with relatively limited funding despite the region’s significant environmental and developmental challenges.
Nwuche also pledged prudent management of the Commission’s resources, assuring stakeholders that the Board would uphold the highest standards of governance.
“The Governing Board will remain firmly committed to ensuring that the Commission operates strictly within the provisions of its enabling law and established due process,” he said.
He added: “Transparency, accountability, integrity and prudent management of public resources will remain our guiding principles. The resources of the Commission will be dedicated to the sustainable development of the South-South region rather than personal enrichment or lifestyle enhancement.”
The public hearing, chaired by Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi, considered the amendment bill aimed at strengthening the Commission’s financial capacity to deliver development projects across the South-South region.
Also in attendance were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, SSDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Nsoro Akpabio, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, state governments and other stakeholders.
