By Inusa Salihu, Maiduguri
As the tenure of the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission, NEDC, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, draws nearer to an end, a youth group from the geo-political zone, the North-East Youths Discussion Cycle, NEYDC, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his tenure so that that the much more achievements recorded would not only be sustained, but also be consolidated upon for the betterment of the region, hitherto devastated by activities of insurgents.
The youth group made the appeal yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, when NEYDC Chairman, Prince Mohammed Sani Hassan, hosted thousands of his members to unveil the achievements recorded by the NEDC under the leadership of Alkali in the six states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba and Bauchi.
This was even as the group presented an Award of Excellence to Alkali and also passed a vote of confidence on him.
Addressing the gathering, Hassan said, “My fellow brothers, sisters and friends from the six states of the North-East, we are gathered here in Maiduguri on 27th April, 2023 to unveil the achievement of North East Development Commission, NEDC, under the leadership of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO, Mohammed G. Alkali
“It has become imperative to address you and the general public of an issue that becomes important to the progressive survival of the North-East region of Nigeria, and the country at large.
“As we are all aware, that the establishment of the North East Development Commission, NEDC, in October 2017 by President Buhari, was solidly to lead the reconstruction of the North-Eastern region of Nigeria among other missions, you will believe with me that the said objective has been achieved in so many ways.
“This is not unconnected to the giant strides of the commission to ensure transparency and accountability of resources allocated to it for the benefit of the entire people of the region, under the able leadership of Mohammed G. Alkali.
“Alkali is a true leader, whose ambition has been to deliver the mandate that is in line with the vision and mission of the North East Development Commission, NEDC.
“Under his leadership, the NEDC has strategically been assessing, reviewing, and implementing key strategic programmes that have catalyze the poverty matrix in the North-East region, some of which include the development of the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan, NESDMP, is an all-inclusive roadmap for the Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, Reactivation, Replacement, Reconstruction, Resettlement, Renewal, Regeneration, Redevelopment and Sustainable Growth of the North-East zone.”
The masterplan, according to him, focused on both alleviating poverty and promoting sustainable growth and development using transformative projects and programmes.
Enumerating some other notable humanitarian and development projects spearheaded by the commission’s Managing Director, Hassan said that they include: “the ongoing construction of 3,500 mass housing units for the resettlement of the IDPs with 1,000 units already completed; capacity building for over 4,000 youths in Information and Communication Technology, ICT, to improve access to ICT in the North-East through the establishment of ICT Resource Centres, targeted at supporting ICT penetration with the hope to resuscitate the region economically in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP.
“Under Alkali’s good leadership qualities, the NEDC has intervened in the areas of agriculture, WASH, health, key infrastructure, such as bridges, schools among others.
“Alkali has also undertaken various national and corporate assignments alongside demanding substantive roles. He served as the Chairman, Technical Committee of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s N10 billion Rice Processing Intervention Fund, 2008/2009; played an active role in the packaging of the N100 billion Cotton, Textiles and Garment, CTG, Development Scheme proposal to the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2009; he was member of the Governing Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN.
“The MD has indeed done very well to the development of the region, he is an icon of diligent service and transformation.
“Remember, that the NEDC has over the years, since its inception touches the lives of many people particularly those that were affected by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, in so many positive ways. This can be clearly seen in such areas where the insurgents have rendered many people homeless, in which, NEDC embarked on massive construction of housing units and schools to ease difficulties to the less privilege.
“You will believe with me that NEDC has had so many other series of interventions which ranges from provision of emergency relief materials to people in the areas that were recently affected by flooding. In addition to that, roads worth billions of naira were constructed in all the states of the North-East geo-political region to ease transportation difficulties.
“On the educational sector, the commission has also released billions of naira for the construction of schools of international standard, and renovating those that were in a dilapidated state. Support was also provided for the teachers and students in all the government-owned schools to ensure effective and efficient teaching and learning.
“My fellow youths the North East Development Commission has however done so much in the area of youths and women empowerment, in which many are provided with palliative support for them to be able to become self reliant.
“This, is not to talk of other areas where the commission under the stewardship of Mohammad G. Alkali, has penetrated with its intervention that touched the lives of many people.
“Therefore, we the North East Youths Discussion Cycle, are calling on President Buhari, to, based on the track records and achievements of the MD/CEO, please extend his tenure for another four years on behalf of the youths in the North-East sub- region.”
