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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
It has been observed that the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) is one of the pillars of the successes of administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari considering the laudable achievements so far recorded.
The observation was made by Alhaji Salihu Magaji, National Chairman, Coalition of Arewa Youths Progressive Forum (CAYPF) in a statement he made available to journalists in Bauchi on Saturday.
He said that the activities of NEDC have become a real proof that our country is being led in the right direction citing as example, the fair and just provision of 3500 housing units across the Six North Eastern States of Adamawa, Borno Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
Another thing is the easen the sufferings of the IDPs and entire people of the North Eastern States as 1000 housing units were constructed in Borno State while the remaining five states have 500 housing units being constructed in each of them .
A part from the training and retraining of thousands of youths in the North Eastern states, the way and manner in which Food items were distributed to the people of the affected States is highly commendable.
According to Salisu Magaji, the NEDC under the leadership of its chairman, Alhaji Goni Mohammed Alkali has continue to carry out the mandate assigned to it by the Federal Government.
He opined that When one considered the decay in infrastructures across the country and the bureaucracies that hinder the smooth operations of many government agencies and compare it with successes recorded by NEDC that have achieved all its recent successes in such a short period of time of one year is incredibly stupendous.
NEDC under Goni Alkali according to him is a leading horse in different rescue missions and initiatives of the Federal Government when it comes to changing the narratives of the people of North-East who have suffered a lot from various boxes rocking the country, this include Insurgency , banditry and kidnappings that have caused so many undulation effects, and it would take the best of governments several years to correct.
He observed further that NEDC has managed to make a lot of progress in bringing relief and peace to the region as the activities of the Commission which is physically located across the Nort Eastern States are uncountable considering that the region is the most backward region in the country.
According to him, “take for example the 3500 housing units that NEDC is building across the region consisting of four blocks of well-furnished 2-bedroom detachable flats with verandas and a courtyard in a cluster arrangement” .
He added that, “in addition to the housing units, other essential amenities such as solar-powered street lights and boreholes, a police-station and a motor-park were provided in the area. Provisions for schooling were also made available. Many beneficiaries would receive food and other relief items”.
The Commission also empowered many farmers by providing them with agricultural machinery and equipments, seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and extension services as well as logistics vehicles annually under a programme tagged; Integrated Agriculture Programme (IAP).
The project covers the whole 112 LGAs in the North East just as the NEDC is also into skills acquisition, training and provision of starter packs to Information Communication Technology (ICT), trainees”.
The CAYPF also stated that Goni Alkali devoted part of his time in giving entrepreneurship, and vocational skills a boost. Each of the 1,028 wards of the North-East region,.
In the area of education, the NEDC has built complete Primary School, upstairs across the 112 Local Government Areas in the North East and its working day and night to construct roads that defied past administrations some of these roads were designed by colonial masters, for example Alkaleri-Futuk road that links Bauchi , Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba States; Kirfi – Gombe Abba road that linked Bauchi and Gombe States.
Salisu Magaji added that, NEDC constructed many cattle markets , Hospitals and made positive interventions in the tertiary institutions in the region.
The NEDC has also empowered women and youths in order to divert attention from the attractions of conscription into Boko Haram stressing that Arewa youths must commend the great insights employed by the Managing Director of the NEDC in the provision of the housing units.
He concluded saying, “I admonish us, patriotic citizens, to continue to provide our support to the NEDC and the current administration in general. Let’s ensure that our dear country comes out of the many quagmires it finds itself in, and once again prove to the world that we are truly the giants of Africa”.
