Abuja: The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to sign the bill for the creation of the South-South Development Commission. PANDEF, the apex socio-political body of the South-South geo-political zone, made the call in a communiqu© issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT), held in Abuja on Monday. National spokesman of PANDEF, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, read the communiqu© on behalf of the National Chairman, Dr. Godknows Igali.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the communiqu© highlighted that the bill was submitted to the President after passage by the National Assembly, alongside other geo-political zone commissions' bills, but has yet to receive assent. PANDEF emphasized the importance of establishing a development commission for all six geo-political zones in the country, without exception, and expressed concern that the delay in approval could foster a sense of exclusion among the South-South population.

The communiqu© noted that the delay in signing the bill leaves the South-South zone without a regional development commission, unlike the existing commissions for the North-East, North-West, South-West, and North-Central regions. PANDEF warned that this delay could negatively impact the current peace in the Niger Delta.

PANDEF's BOT urged the President to address this oversight and promptly approve the bill, distinguishing it from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which was established in 2000 to address issues in oil-producing communities. PANDEF suggested reverting the NDDC's name to Oil Mineral Production Areas Development Commission to prevent any confusion with the proposed South-South Development Commission.