Lopsided projects: Reps committee absolves NEDC, lauds intervention in North East

At the end of a 3-day inspection tour of ongoing projects embarked upon by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in Bauchi State, House of Representative Committee on NEDC has cleared the Commission of bias and or discrimination in siting projects in the Six States that make up the subregion.

The North East subregion is made up of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states which have variously been devastated by the many years of insurgency necessitating the establishment of the NEDC with Corporate headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

Recall that some groups had in recent times agitated for the removal of the Management led by the MD /CEO, Mohammed Goni Alkali over allegations of lopsided project execution and corruption.

Speaking to Journalists on Friday at the end of its oversight functions, the Committee dismissed all the allegations that the Commission is being lopsided in its project’s distribution across the subregion.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Usman Zanna, said: “I want to clear the insinuations that the MD and the NEDC are only doing jobs in one particular area of the subregion. By seeing these, we, as a Committee have to clear that insinuation. The MD is really working in all the states.”

Usman Zannah added, “I want to appeal to the Management of the Commission to collaborate with the House to look for more funding outside the government revenue. We have to think outside the box to go and look for more funding at the United Nations and other agencies of government.”

The Committee Chairman added, “When we return to Abuja, we will discuss more and how to get more funds to continue this good work they are doing.”

Members of the Committee arrived Bauchi on Wednesday. They took tour to inspect some ongoing projects embarked upon by the Commission in the state including the failed Bauchi-Gombe road, Kirfi-Gombe-Abba road, Mega School, constriction and equipping of Medical Emergency Complex, and the Institute of Ophthalmology Complex at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi as well as the State office complex of Commission along Jos road amongst others.