Vice President Kashim Shettima has tasked the new board and management of Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) to prioritize access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunity, noting that “today, we must remember that development is not simply about bricks and mortar.”
The vice president gave the position in his words at the inauguration of the board of directors and the management of the NEDC in the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.
Emphasizing the importance of human capital development, Mr. Shettima said progress “is also about empowering minds, cultivating talent and fostering an environment where dreams can flourish.”
“The commission can only ensure the safety of emerging and future generations by nurturing the seeds that will produce them. For Nigeria to regain its stability, this commission must refuse to go extinct even in the face of adversity, as it has since its inception,” he said.
The vice president said that the inauguration of the new administration was not simply a political protocol, but the renewal of the nation’s hope, the creation of a legacy and a testament to the Tinubu administration’s commitment to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the region.
He reminded members that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s investment in the human capital and development trajectory of the northeast fuels the enthusiasm with which he has prioritized NEDC issues.”
Mr. Shettima then praised the efforts of the immediate past board, stressing that “I have no doubt that the leadership of this commission is prepared to assume the trust placed in it by the government, as it has in recent years.”
“Its impressive fiscal discipline and financial transparency, which have resulted in a credit balance of N222.9 billion in its coffers as of the second quarter of 2023, are marks of managerial expectations and the character for which NEDC is known.
“I make a call to each one of you, because the people summon us. We must put on our combat gear to fulfill our promise to prevent any failure in our intervention, giving people an escape from undeserved realities. We must restore the glories of the Northeast as a vast land of history and culture, crafts and industry,” the vice president charged the new board.
Shettima then called on the leaders and people of the Northeast region to support the new board and management in fulfilling their mandate to transform the region, noting that “this is a journey we cannot afford to undertake. divided”.
In his remarks, NEDC Board Chairman Paul Tarfa, a retired Major General, thanked Chairman Bola Tinubu for finding them worthy of service, ensuring that the current board will focus, among other things, on implementing capital development projects. in line with the “Agenda of Renewed Hope”.
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Inaugural board members present at the event included Commission MD Mohammad Alkali; Gambo Maikomo, member (northeast of Taraba); member of Abdullahi Abbas (Northwest of Kano); Steven Tsav Member (North Centre, Benue); Member of Mutiu Lawal-Areh (South West, Lagos); Samuel Oni Ebo Member (Southeast, Abia); Frank Owhor, member (South-South, Rivers); Musa Yashi, Executive Director of Humanitarian Affairs (northeast of Bauchi); Ahmed Yahaya, Executive Director of Operations (North East Gombe) and Abubakar Iliya, Executive Director of Administration and Finance (North East Yobe).
The event was attended by some dignitaries, including the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum; NDLEA President Buba Marwa; the President’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Hadejia; Kaka Lawan, Musliu Obanikoro and Lagos State APC President Cornelius Ojelabi, among others.
*Olusola Abiola**Information from the Director**Office of the Vice President**August 9, 2023*
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