Senate amends regional development commissions, NYSC trust fund bills

From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

The Senate has amended the establishment Act of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), the South West Development Commission (SWDC) and the North West Development Commission (NWDC) as well as the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund bills to make them compliant with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This followed the adoption of recommendations contained in a motion by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) yesterday.

The Senate and House of Representatives had passed the Bills and forwarded them to the Clerk of the National Assembly for onward transmission to the President and Commander-in-Chief for assent without noting the clauses, which were contrary to the provisions of the constitution.

Specifically, the funding clauses for the Commissions and the NYSC Trust Fund contradict section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.

Bamidele explained that section 1, subsections (1) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, provide that the Constitution is supreme and any law that contradicts the Constitution shall be null and void to the extent of the contradiction.

He added that he was “mindful that the Senate should not work in vain and should be seen to be observing the Constitution just like any other authority and persons in Nigeria and relying on Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of Senate Standing Order, 2023 (As amended),” and accordingly resolved to rescind its decision on them.

Affected are Clause 14 of the North West Development Commission (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Clause 14 of the South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2025; Clause 15 of the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and Clause 4 (1) of the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

The Senate amended the relevant sections in the Committee of the Whole where they were reconsidered and passed.