Senate wants more funds for NEDC amid alleged graft
Senate Committee on Special Duties has called for more funds for the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for the overall development of the Northeast region.
The request followed the House of Representatives’ resolve in July to investigate an alleged misappropriation of N100 billion in the commission, Daily Times gathered.
Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Yusuf Yusuf, made the demand on Thursday when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to some of the over 33 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in various locations in Borno.
Decrying the deplorable state of the camps, the lawmaker said that the committee would engage with development partners to try to expand the camps.
“We have seen a difficult and challenging situation that we have in terms of humanitarian crisis.
But we now have a lot of concerns that we really need to do more, so that we can cater for our brothers and sisters.
“Our own work is actually advocacy; and we will sit down with the partners and try to do our best to raise more funds for the development of the Northeast.
“My colleague (Sen. Francis Fadahunsi) from the southwest has now seen it. So, there’s no more argument that the money is too much.
We will engage our colleagues to see how we can have more funds for the commission,” he said. While at the 1, 000 Housing Unit in Ngwom, Mafa Local Government Area of the state, Yusuf called for the use of local content in the construction of the estate.
“The people must benefit, either the labourers, painters, so that they can be empowered. It is very important even in the supply of materials,” he said.
The Chairperson, State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs YaBawa Kolo, said that the initial proposal for the facility was 10, 000 housing units. “This is the pilot scheme.
It was the state government that identified the location, while NEDC is in charge of the construction. It is like modern villages in the spirit building back after the serious devastation of insurgency.”
The Managing Director, NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, thanked members of the committee for the visit, saying it made a lot of difference.
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“They have seen for themselves what is on the ground. We will be on the same page for the development of the region,” he said.
On the alleged misappropriation of funds by the commission, Alkali said, “You said it’s an allegation, well, I keep saying that everybody is entitled to his opinion. The fact remains the fact in time.”
