Buhari is seeking Senate confirmation for NEDC board members

On Friday, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), the president, requested confirmation from the Senate for the appointment of 12 candidates to the North-East Development Commission’s Governing Board.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that Buhari’s request was made in a letter dated May 3, 2023, and addressed to Senate President Ahmed Lawan.

According to the provisions of Part 1, Section 2(5)(b) of the North-East Development Commission Establishment Act of 2017, it stated: “I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of twelve (12) nominees as tabulated below, in the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission.

The tenure of the current North-East Development Commission Governing Board will expire on May 7, 2023, and the Senate is invited to take note.

The candidates are: Barr. Bashir Baale, Chairman (North-East, Yobe); Suwaiba Baba, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs; Musa Yashi, Executive Director, Administration and Finance; Dr. Ismaila Maksha, Executive Director, Operations; and Umar Hashidu, MD/CEO, (North-East, Gombe).

Other members include Grema Ali (North-East, Borno), Onyeka Gospel-Tony (South-East), Mrs. Hailmary Aipoh (South-South), Air Commodore Babatunde Akanbi (Retd), Mustapha Ibrahim, Hadiza Maina, and a representative from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning.

Buhari expressed his hope that the Senate would grant his request “with the customary prompt consideration and confirmation.”

For the implementation of all programmes and initiatives for the North East states, namely Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, the NEDC assesses, coordinates, harmonises, and reports on all intervention programmes and initiatives by the Federal Government or any of its Ministries, Departments and Agencies, States, and other Development Partners.

The President officially swore in the new commission board on May 9, 2019. The company’s managing director, Mohammed Alkali, was charged in March 2023 by two transparency and civil society organisations with mismanaging budgetary allocations totaling N146.19 billion.