By KINGSLEY OKOYE

The Senate has withdrawn a motion on the exclusion of the Anambra/Imo River Basin from the N380 billion allocated in the 2025 budget.

This decision followed a motion by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), and seconded by Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP-Benue), during Thursday’s plenary.

Bamidele noted that lawmakers had already debated the initial motion regarding the exclusion of the Anambra/Imo River Basin from the River Basin Authorities’ project funding.

He stated that each geopolitical zone has pressing issues, and senators from affected areas wish to raise them for consideration in due time.

Bamidele then urged his colleagues to allow Senate leadership to engage the Minister of Water Resources on the matter concerning the basin’s omission.

He subsequently moved for the motion to be stood down pending further consultation and deliberation.

Earlier, the sponsor of the motion, Sen. Kenneth Eze (APC-Ebonyi), cited Section 14, Subsections 3 and 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

He emphasised that the National Assembly is mandated to ensure equity and balanced development nationwide through appropriate legislation and budgetary oversight.

Eze noted that under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Plan, N3.2 trillion was allocated, with N380 billion earmarked for irrigation development projects.

These projects, he said, would be implemented through River Basin Development Authorities to boost agriculture, enhance food security, and create employment opportunities.

However, he lamented the exclusion of the Anambra/Imo River Basin, which serves the entire South-East geopolitical zone, from the budgetary implementation.

Eze described the omission as unjustifiable, undermining equity and contradicting the principles of fairness and balanced national development.

He highlighted the South-East’s fertile land and major contributions to agriculture through crops such as oil palm, cassava, yam, rice, and vegetables.

The senator stressed that several irrigation projects and dams in the region could benefit from the proposed infrastructure fund.

He warned that excluding these projects may hinder regional development and weaken the government’s economic recovery agenda.

Eze added that such an omission risks deepening feelings of marginalisation and inequity in federal project allocations.

Senators who earlier supported the motion before it was withdrawn included Osita Ngwu (PDP-Enugu), Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi), and Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe). (NAN)