North Central Youths Applaud Mwadkwon for NCDC Bill Role

A coalition of youths from the North Central zone has commended Senator Simon Mwadkwon for his role in the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), describing him as a key figure in the legislative process that led to its creation.

Under the aegis of the North Central Youths Movement, the group visited the former Senate Minority Leader in Jos, Plateau State, on Sunday as part of their engagements with lawmakers and stakeholders who played crucial roles in securing the commission’s approval.

Led by convener Alex Audu, the delegation highlighted how their advocacy for the commission began in 2016, culminating in Mwadkwon’s sponsorship of the North Central Development Commission (Establishment) Bill HB 23 in 2019 while he was in the House of Representatives. Despite its passage in 2021, the bill was not signed into law by then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was later revived in the Senate, co-sponsored by Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) and other lawmakers from the region, and eventually received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent.

Mwadkwon, addressing the youths, expressed gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the political struggles and setbacks that initially stalled the bill.

He recalled how, despite a near-fatal accident in May 2021, he insisted on pushing forward with the second reading.

“I had already done the first reading in 2019. After being discharged from the hospital, I regained some strength and insisted on presenting the second reading while standing, even when the Speaker offered me a seat,” he said.

He also addressed debates over the bill’s ownership, stating that personal credit was never his priority.

“When you have a dream and it becomes reality, even if not during your tenure, you should be able to appreciate it. I remained silent despite the arguments on social media because I knew the history,”

Mwadkwon, who previously served on the House Committee for the North East Development Commission, emphasized the urgent needs the NCDC must address, including resettlement of displaced persons, ecological challenges, and critical infrastructure deficits

“We lack hospitals, schools, and even proper roads. The Akwanga-Jos road, for instance, is a death trap,” he noted.

The delegation included representatives from across the North Central states: Alex Audu (Plateau), Muhammad Saba (Niger), Dominic Anyebe (Benue), Bello Nakre (Nasarawa), Ibrahim Jimoh (Kwara), and Gabriel Mishark (FCT). They also commended lawmakers who later co-sponsored the bill and saw it through the 10th Senate.

President Tinubu’s signing of the NCDC bill was earlier announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, officially establishing the commission, which is expected to drive economic development, reconstruction, and rehabilitation in the North Central region.