Oyo APC wants South West Development Commission headquarters in Ibadan

How we lobbied other lawmakers to pass bill on commission

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as the headquarters and main operation base of the soon-to-be-established South West Development Commission (SWDC).

It said that having the headquarters of the commission in Ibadan would serve the interest of the generality of the people of the geo-political zone. In a statement, yesterday, by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the party, while applauding the National Assembly for the speedy passage of the bill to establish the SWDC, which it described as imperative to guarantee equity, fairness and national integration, said the commission, if well structured and fully funded, would bridge the gap in the areas of special interventions, focused attention and infrastructural development.

The statement reads in part: “The idea of a South West Development Commission goes beyond replicating what has been done in other geopolitical zones. We welcome it wholeheartedly as it holds a lot of promises to the South West, which has a unique record of regional integration and innovative leadership. The new commission will, no doubt, afford the people of the South West zone a platform for collaboration, innovation and peer support.

Pointedly, the location of the main operation base or headquarters of the commission is as important as its creation. Without mincing words, no other town or city comes close to Ibadan as an ideal place to harbour the headquarters of the SWDC with its liaison offices in Ikeja, Akure, Abeokuta, Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo and Abuja. There are many reasons for this submission and none of which can be wished away by the people who mean well for the entire Yoruba race.”

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed how lawmakers from the South-west states lobbied their colleagues from other geo-political zones to pass the bill for the establishment of the SWDC.

Bamidele, also the leader of the South-west National Assembly Caucus, said that lawmakers from the South-west APC “had been a formidable force, contributing significantly to the progress and stability of the National Assembly.”

He made the remarks during the South-west Assembly of the APC held in Lagos, at the weekend, where he suggested the need to institutionalise the Assembly for regular and sustained interaction among stakeholders.

Bamidele, who said that the South-west APC caucus in the 10th National Assembly worked with other lawmakers from other geo-political zones to secure majority support for the passage of the South West Development Commission Bill, disclosed that out of the 18 senators from the geo-political zone, 15 are from the APC.

The figure, according to him, makes the South-west the largest single bloc of APC senators in the Senate, which has given us considerable influence, and we have used it effectively for the good of our people.