From Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The Chairman North East Elders and Youth Peoples Forum has commended the managing Director Chief Executive of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali for coming out with validated 10-year North East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) aimed at facilitating a transformative growth of the region and lifting citizens in the region out of poverty.
The Chairman of the Association Alhaji Salihu Magaji and his Secretary Lawal Abdullahi stated this Monday in Bauchi While briefing reporters as part of their reaction on the road to development of the region Master Plan bu NEDC.He said The implementation of the North-East Development Plan would gulp the sum of $80 billion, which is equivalent to N31.05 trillion as announced by the commission.
Magaji said “with the announcement of this huge amount of money shows the patriotism ,doggeneess, commitment and accountability of the Managing Director of the commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali which clearly shows his mission and vision to remove the region from its predicament and present woes”.
He said that “the North East region is the most backward and neglected region in the country despite its historic position and status in the history of Nigeria but today its ,a region that suffered a lot of setbacks as a result of insurgencies as well as recent climate change effects’.
Magaji said that full implementation of the master plan will no doubt bring needed growth and development to the region in line with objective of NEDC which was established to rebuild the North-East region following the unfortunate Boko Haram insurgency.
He said that in less than four years since its establishment, the Goni Alkali lef Commission made great strides towards achieving its mandate of managing funds for recovery, stabilization, and paving a path toward long-term social-economic development of the North-East region. Magaji said the activities carried out by Goni Alkali led commission is a fulfillment of the campaign promise made by, President Muhammadu Buhari to the people of the North-East Geo-Political Zone during his electioneering campaign.
The Chairman said with their performance the North East communities felt that NEDC turned out to be “one of the important projects of Buhari administration that touched their lives positively and gladden the hearts of the communities because of the right choice of leadership under Goni Alkali who exemplary , transparent and prudent leadership led to the successes recorded by the NEDC.
He said “All of us from the Region and even beyond are most grateful to Mr. President for his insight and legacy and for appointing the right man for the Job Goni Alkali”
On his part, Secretary of the Forum Lawal Abdullahi said “its no doubt that Mohammed Goni Alkali succeeded in implementing the Humanitarian-Development Peace building because of the Many ground viable, demand-driven, and impactful projects that are changing the landscape of the North-East Region , and the projects are distributed judiciously according to the needs of each state in the zone”.
He said “the projects are physically seen who ever visit any of the six States in the region he will see the laudable projects being carried out by the NEDC.
Abdullahi commended the foresight of the Managing Director “for coming out with the North-East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), any one that study it will definitely see a holistic roadmap for recovery, stabilization, expansion, and long-term socioeconomic development of the NE Region and urged the Federal Government to approve the Regional Plan for immediate implementation by all relevant Stakeholders, for the benefit of the communities in the region”.
The Secretary said if the 11 pillars on the road map is included like peaceful society; leadership in agriculture; healthy citizens; educated populace; flourishing trade; productive entrepreneurs; purposeful infrastructure; industrialization; memorable experience; protected environment; connected region will definitely solve the woes bedeviled the region.