Vice President Kashim Shettima recently inaugurated the new board and management of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).
At the State House, Abuja, he emphasized that the board members focus on economic opportunities, quality education, and healthcare access within the geo-political zone.
Nairametrics learns that members of the inaugurated board present at the event included the MD of the Commission, Mohammad Alkali; Gambo Maikomo, member (North-East Taraba); Abdullahi Abbas, member (North-West Kano); Steven Tsav, member (North-Central, Benue); Mutiu Lawal-Areh, member (South-West, Lagos).
Others are Samuel Oni Ebo, member (South-East, Abia); Frank Owhor, member (South-South, Rivers); Musa Yashi, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs (North-East Bauchi); Ahmed Yahaya, Executive Director, Operations, (North-East Gombe), and Abubakar Iliya, Executive Director, Admin and Finance, (North-East, Yobe)
What he said
Shettima reminded NEDC members that President Bola Tinubu’s investment in the human capital and developmental direction of the Northeast fuels his strong commitment to the commission’s affairs.
He said,
- “Progress is also about empowering minds, cultivating talent, and fostering an environment where dreams can flourish.”
- “Today, we must remember that development is not merely about bricks and mortar”.
He highlighted that the commission’s ability to ensure the safety of upcoming generations relies on nurturing the potential that will give rise to them.
The Vice President underscored that for Nigeria to regain stability, the commission must persist despite challenges, as it has consistently done since its inception.
He expressed that the inauguration of the new management goes beyond political protocol; but signifies the renewal of the nation’s hope, the establishment of a legacy, and a testament to the Tinubu administration’s dedication to reconstructing and rehabilitating the region.
Shettima then commended the efforts of the immediate past board, stressing,
- “I do not doubt that the leadership of this commission is prepared to shoulder the trust placed upon it by the government, as it has done in the past years.”
- “Your impressive fiscal discipline and financial transparency, which have resulted in a credit balance of N222.9 billion in your coffers in the wake of the second quarter of 2023, are marks of the managerial expectations and character for which NEDC is known.”
- “I appeal to each of you, for the people summon us. We must don our combat gear to fulfil our promise of preventing any lapses in our intervention, providing the people with an escape from underserved realities.
- We must restore the glories of the North-East as a vast land of history and culture, and crafts and industry”.
Shettima then appealed to leaders and the people of the northeast region to support the new board and management to deliver on its mandate of transforming the region, noting that it is a journey that cannot be divided.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NEDC board, Major General Paul Tarfa (rtd), thanked the President for finding them worthy of service, assuring that the present board will among other things, focus on implementing human capital development projects in line with the agenda of the government.
