By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
A group of youth operating under the aegis of Northern Youth Rights, NYR, has filed a petition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of violating the North-East Development Commission, NEDC, Establishment Act 2017.
The petition, sighted by our correspondent carried a stamp of receipt from the office of the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, dated 24th July, 2023, was centered around the reconstitution and appointment of members into the governing board of the commission for the year 2023.
The NEDC was established in 2017 with the primary objective of addressing the humanitarian and developmental challenges faced by the North-East region of Nigeria, which has been significantly affected by insurgency and other forms of insecurity.
The Act outlines specific guidelines and procedures for the constitution of NEDC governing board.
But the NYR claimed that President Tinubu, in his letter to the Senate, dated 19th July, 2023, failed to adhere to the provisions of the NEDC Act 2017 in the reconstitution and/or appointment of members to the commission’s governing board for the year 2023.
The petitioners alleged that the section of the NEDC Act the President relied on in the appointment of new members of the board does not even exist in the Act, thus, raising concerns about transparency, fairness, and regional representation in the board.
Part of the petitionle reads thus, “With great concern and disappointment, we humbly note that the
“section 5, sub section (b)” mentioned by President Tinubu in this said communication, also read by you, does not exist in the NEDC Act 2017. It is appalling that this mighty glitch would occur in the highest echelon of the leadership of our land.
“The reappointment of General Paul Tarfa, rtd to the position of the Chairman of the board of the commission is inconsistent with Section 5 and the Second Schedule of the Act establishing the NEDC.
“Therefore, this ‘reappointment’ stands wasted and of no effect whatsoever.”
The petition as obtained by our correspondent was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the group, Mr. Haruna Abdullahi Maikano and Raphael Terkua, respectively, and copied the office of the President and the Vice President, as well as all the 109 senators, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF; Office of the Chief of Staff, CoS, to the President, all the six governors of the North-East region, and Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The youth prayed the Senate to ensure the need for transparency and accountability in the selection process of the NEDC board members.
Asserting that any deviation from the established guidelines undermines the commission’s purpose and hampers efforts to address the pressing developmental needs of the North-East region, the group therefore prayed that: the Senate do declare that the letter of from President Tinubu, herein mentioned, contained vague information and as well misrepresentation of facts of the law and regulation of the NEDC Establishment Act 2017; the Senate should declare that any action already taken from the contents of the letter are inconsistent with relevant laws; the Senate should cease any action, or any further action, regarding the contents of Mr. President’s letter in mention.
The group also prayed that in order not to create an administrative vaccum and also in other to avoid legal battles and issues connected with the governing and management of the NEDC, Senate should declare that the status quo be maintained at the NEDC, before the coming of President Tinubu’s letter,bwhich has been shown here to have no effect, whatsoever.
Speaking on the implication of the President’s action and the way forward, the youth group insisted that allegations raised by then in their petition are of significant concern, given the critical role of the NEDC in the region’s recovery and development.
It therefore called for a thorough investigation into the alleged violations of the NEDC Act 2017 as a panacea to fairness and the realization of the commission’s objectives.
AYR added that the situation calls for the utmost transparency and adherence to the rule of law in all governmental appointments to key positions, adding that any irregularities in the appointment process must be rectified to preserve public trust and confidence in the commission’s ability to effectively serve the needs of the North-East region.
It added, “As the matter unfolds, Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the North-East region, will be keenly watching for a timely and just resolution to ensure the commission can fulfill its mandate and contribute to the region’s progress.”
Recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed an acting governing board for the commission at the wee hours of his administration’s tenure, but the appointments were dissolved shortly after Tinubu took over as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
