Lawan speaks as Senate confirms NEDC board rejected by Buhari

Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan has expressed concern over what he described as overbearance of the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry on the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

He said this shortly before the senate confirmed the appointments of chairman, members and executive management of the board of the commission.

The nominees were confirmed following their screening during Wednesday’s plenary.

Tinubu had, in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio and read last week, asked the Senate to approve the appointment of the nominees.

Tinubu asks Senate to confirm NEDC Board rejected by Buhari

Timely appointments at NEDC

The President said the request was in accordance with Section 5(b) of the NEDC establishment Act.

Those confirmed are: Paul Tarfa, chairman (North-East, Adamawa) re-appointment; Gambo Maikomo, member (North-East Taraba); Abdullahi Abbas, member (North-West Kano); Tsav Stephen Aondoana, member (North-Central, Benue); Mutiu Lawal-Areh, member (South-West, Lagos) and Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo, member (South-East, Abia).

Others are: Frank Owhor, member (South-South, Rivers); Mohammad Goni Alkali, Managing Director (North-East, Borno) re-appointment; Musa Yashi, Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs (North-East, Bauchi); Ahmed Abdulsalam Yahaya, Executive Director Operations, (North-East, Gombe) and Abubakar Garba Iliya, Executive Director Admin and Finance, (North-East, Yobe).

Speaking before his confirmation, Alkali, who was renominated as the agency’s MD, said the NEDC has so far, executed over 600 projects across the states in the North East in different sectors, including housing and irrigation, water projects.

He, however, lamented that the N2 billion appropriated to the agency annually was grossly inadequate and appealed for upward review.

Daily Trust reports that after the previous board served out its tenure, former President Muhammadu Buhari towards the end of his administration, appointed 12 new persons to the board.

The 9th Senate, under Ahmad Lawan, did not act on Buhari’s request to confirm the nominees up to the end of its tenure in June.

Without the Senate confirmation, the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, inaugurated the board members of the Commission in acting capacity.

The minister’s action generated controversy among stakeholders, who raised concerns about the legitimacy of the board.

Lawan, who urged the Senate to be extra vigilant, said, “the ministry was too overbearing on the Commission. The ministry should not be allowed to determine the projects we will have in the North East. The projects and programmes to be implemented should be the ones nominated by the states in the North East. We in the zone know where the shoe pinches.”