Senator Abba Moro sponsored a bill to establish a commission dedicated to the resettlement, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of flood-affected areas in North Central Nigeria. The bill successfully passed its first and second readings in the Senate on October 5, 2023, and February 21, 2024, respectively. However, it did not receive presidential approval before the expiration of the 9th Senate.
In his lead debate, Senator Moro emphasized the commission’s role in managing funds from the federal government and donors to aid flood victims. The commission would also address farmers-herders clashes, communal conflicts, and infrastructure projects like the construction of drainage systems and the dredging of the Niger and Benue rivers to mitigate flooding. Additionally, the commission would tackle poverty, illiteracy, and other developmental challenges in the region.
The bill’s passage came after the Senate Committee on Special Duties presented its report during a plenary session. Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, congratulated Senator Moro and those involved in the bill’s success. He expressed hope that President Bola Tinubu would assent to the bill to promote the development of North Central Nigeria, which includes Kogi, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.