President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been called upon to overhaul or scrap the North East Development Commission (NEDC), to pave way for a functional system that would serve the general interest of Northeasterner.
This assertion was made in a statement personally signed and made available to newsmen on Monday by a Kanuri born activist Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, from Maiduguri, Borno state capital.
Rev. Ali Dikwa who’s also the Director, General Center for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, maintained that the commission has become a “milking cow” to the northeastern political cohorts, revealing that vice President Kashim Shettima withdrawn N13 billion from the account without the knowledge of President Tinubu in the name of providing palliatives.
His words: “Northeast Developments Commission (NEDC), is the milking Cow to the Northeastern politically Cohorts: president, federal republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu should overhaul or scrap the system”, he stated, in released dated 10th March 2024.
“Mr President Sir, the system that is not meeting its goal needs to be overhaul or scrap to pave ways for the functional systems to thrive well.
“From the day God almighty saddles you with the mandate of leadership of this our dear country up to date, huge sum of money had been sent to the commission that ends up in the pockets of the northeastern elders especially the Kanuri people with the key role players involved his Excellency Vice President of the Federal republic of Nigeria Senator Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim.
“In November 2023, the Vice President withdrawn the sum of N13 billion from the North East Development Commission account without your knowledge Mr. President.
“He did so under the guise of giving palliative to masses in Borno State but nothing has been given to the masses, the said N13 billion ended in some individuals account.
“The commission is for the Northeast as the names implied but has been hijacked by three states (Borno, Gombe and Yobe) out of the six states namely: Adamwa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe and Taraba.
“This is so because the Managing Director Moh’d Goni Alkali is a kanuri by tribe and from Borno State with sizeable numbers of his kinsmen in Yobe and friends in Gombe.
“Therefore, some governors from the northeast have more power on NEDC than others like governors in Borno, Gombe and Yobe States.
“These governors are only sending their people to be given contracts of their choice in the commission.
“The Managing Director, Mohmmed Goni Alkali was a former boss to the current Vice President Senator Alh. Kashim Shetima.
“So the two, in collaboration with the three governors were busy embezzling the money sent for development under your watch Mr President through awarding of contracts that have never seen breaking of any day.
“The governors of Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba States have no idea of any happenings in the NEDC”, he noted.
According to the release “With these few out of numerous recklessness of the Vice President, the MD of NEDC and the three state governors of Borno, Yobe and Gombe, I therefore recommend setting up of committee by Tinubu.
‘Your Excellency, please setup a committee to investigate the NEDC account thoroughly, dissolve the Executive Directors, the board Chairman and members.
“There was proposals from Elder Maliki Daniel regards dry season farming between Adamawa and Taraba States to raises the economy of the northeast, Nigeria and to employ over 5000 youths.
“Also, Dr. Solomon Tizhe did same thing on entrepreneurial among youths and women to boast the economy of the country to which the MD refused to approve it.
“The MD Moh’d Goni Alkali, Gov. Babagana Umara and the Vice President Kashim Shettima have used and are still using the NEDC money in empowering the so-call repentant members of Boko-Haram insurgent, buying cars and renovating their houses.
“This, they need to be investigated. The executive governor of Borno State Babagana Umara Zulum recently claimed that he gave palliative to 100,000 household in Maiduguri which was never true.
“He only gave little palliative to selective individuals via card issued by the state government. Mr. President please ask the governor to provide the names and NIN of the people that received the palliative”, he insisted with emphasis.
