In a video clip shared by TV Platinum, Senator Abba Moro stood up firmly during a Senate session to make his point clear about how development commissions should be handled across the country. He showed no doubt at all in saying that no special treatment should be given to the North Central geopolitical zone in the way the proposed North Central Development Commission might be created or managed. Senator Moro told everyone directly, “Mr Chairman, all development commissions have the same nomenclature. North Central cannot be different.” Those were strong words coming from him as he tried to stop what he saw as a dangerous path of giving one region more than others.
He warned that this kind of move could break the unity of the country and would not be good for fairness among all parts of Nigeria. He added clearly, “Mr Chairman, I don’t think Mr President will do that. Mr President cannot single out the North Central for allocation of portfolios after approval of the Senate.” That sentence showed he believed the President would also see that it was wrong to treat North Central differently from other regions once the Senate had already approved a commission.
His words were mainly an answer to a wave of demands coming from some people who wanted the North Central zone to have a special way of running its commission, different from other regional bodies. Those calling for that argued that North Central faces some unique problems and so should get unique help. But Senator Moro, who is from Benue South, explained that there must be one rule for all. He felt that any change from that principle would open the door for every zone to start asking for its own special package, which would break the purpose of fairness.
His comments have already started arguments among lawmakers and the general public. There are people who agree with him and say that equal treatment is the best way to keep Nigeria together, while others believe that if one region is really struggling, then maybe it deserves a little extra help to catch up. That debate is not going away soon because people feel very strongly on both sides.
The North Central area, like all other zones, has its own long list of challenges that people there say deserve targeted help, but Senator Moro’s words made it clear that he is not ready to bend the rules to give that zone a different path from what others have. He believes the structure should stay the same and that all commissions should be made to follow the same style.
Senator Moro’s tough stand shows how hard it is to balance regional hopes with what is fair for the country as a whole. The Senate will come back to continue talking about the North Central Development Commission’s structure next week, and there is no doubt the discussion will be hot. Many eyes will be on what happens next because how they settle this will affect how other regions may demand help later on. For now, Senator Moro has planted his flag clearly that “North Central cannot be different,” and that one sentence is already shaping the debate in a big way.
