What Lawan Said Before Senate Confirmed NEDC Board Rejected By Buhari

What Lawan Said Before Senate Confirmed NEDC Board Rejected By Buhari

Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan has raised concerns about the excessive influence of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on the North East Development Commission (NEDC). He expressed these concerns before the Senate confirmed the appointments of the chairman, members, and executive management of the commission.

The nominees were confirmed during Wednesday’s plenary after their screening. The confirmation was requested by President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in accordance with Section 5(b) of the NEDC establishment Act.

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The confirmed members include Paul Tarfa as chairman (North-East, Adamawa), Gambo Maikomo as member (North-East Taraba), Abdullahi Abbas as member (North-West Kano), Tsav Stephen Aondoana as member (North-Central, Benue), Mutiu Lawal-Areh as member (South-West, Lagos), Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo as member (South-East, Abia), Frank Owhor as member (South-South, Rivers), Mohammad Goni Alkali as Managing Director (North-East, Borno), Musa Yashi as Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs (North-East, Bauchi), Ahmed Abdulsalam Yahaya as Executive Director Operations (North-East, Gombe), and Abubakar Garba Iliya as Executive Director Admin and Finance (North-East, Yobe).

Alkali, who was re-nominated as the agency’s MD, informed the Senate that the NEDC had executed over 600 projects across the states in the North East in various sectors, including housing and irrigation. However, he pointed out that the annual appropriation of N2 billion to the agency was significantly inadequate and requested an upward review.

It is worth noting that when the previous board’s tenure ended, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed 12 new individuals to the board. However, the 9th Senate, under Ahmad Lawan, did not act on Buhari’s request to confirm the nominees before its tenure ended in June. Consequently, the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, inaugurated the board members of the Commission in an acting capacity, which generated controversy among stakeholders regarding the legitimacy of the board.

Ahmad Lawan urged the Senate to exercise caution and prevent the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs from exerting excessive control over the NEDC. He emphasized that the projects and programs to be implemented should be determined by the states in the North East, not solely by the ministry.