…says allegations against reconstituted NEDC Board unfounded, baseless, mischievous
Segun Babatunde, Bauchi
The North East Development Agenda (NEDA) has described as baseless, unfounded and mischievous , a recent allegation in a section of the media that the reappointment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Board Members did not follow due process.
Reacting to the allegation, the Chairman of the group, Alhaji Salihu Magaji who spoke in Bauchi when he addressed a Press conference at Hazibal Hotel conference hall, declared that “the thruth of the matter is that their appointment is meritorious and it Followed due process as stipulated in the gazetted laws of the commission”.
According to him, ” NEDA observed that the hue and cry emanating from certain quarters regarding the recent reappointment made by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu to reappoint the Board Members followed due process and didnt violate the laws that established the commission”.
“For that the hue and cry was not necessary and mischievious.Their appointment is in consonance with an existing gazetted laws that established the commission on the appointment of board members as the law number 5 says ‘The Chairman and other members of the Board shall be persons of proven integrity and ability,and they most be appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate”.
“Article 3, said ‘Subject to the provisions of section 4 of this Act, a member of the Board other than an ex-officio member, shall hold office for a term of 4 years at the first instance and may be re-appointed for another term of 4 years and no more’. Here the constitution is specific”.
“On the issue of rotation may arise when new board members are appointed because there is no law that said the board members should not be on the position mr President appointed him, there is no where in the law that said they should not be reapppinted on their position”.
The chairman said “the reappointment Of Major General Paul Tarfa , Goni Mohammed Alkali and other executive Directors follow due process and there is no law that stop the President from reappointing them on same position and no law stops Senate from confirming their reappointment”.
He said the people “”barking were sponsored by the enemies of the commission, enemies of progress of North East , people who want to hold on to power by all means not by merit, the sponsors of these petitions are all out to see if they may derail the good intentions of the President”.
“Let’s make it boldly, we in the North East, we will not be in support of persons with questionable characters whom have shown tendencies capable of eroding trust to be handed such an important interventionist agency”.
He explained that “Therefore we enjoin all our people to give maximum support to the direction the commission is headed under the able leadership of Goni Mohammed Alkali.With the reappointment of Alkali and other Board members ,there is no doubt that the NEDC is still very much focused and we must only support genuine effort and clear processes that will lead to the aspiration of our people”.
Magaji said that the board as an interventionist agency, knows that the Commission had a responsibility to cater for the welfare of the people “and they always intervene to provide the needed succour to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and they are doing their best.
He said immediately after they were appointed, they know Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim.Shettima are concerned with the well being of the citizens, they mobilised N15bn parliatives to the six North eastern states.