By Ezekiel Kuni / Jalingo, Taraba
The North-East Youths Renaissance Assembly (NEYRA) has expressed significant concerns regarding allegations of nepotism within the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) under its current Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, from the Kanuri ethnic group in Borno State. The group, led by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Dauda Gambo Musa, has called upon President Bola Tinubu to address these issues to prevent potential regional conflicts.
NEYRA highlighted that the NEDC was established by former President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure equitable development across the North-East region, which has been severely affected by prolonged insurgencies. However, Alhaji Musa criticized MD Alkali for allegedly favoring individuals from his ethnic group in key appointments and contract awards.
Specifically, Musa pointed out that Borno State has received over 80 projects valued at more than 200 billion-naira, accounting for over 60% of the region’s total project outlay. In contrast, Bauchi State has received fewer than 40 projects valued at under 15 billion naira. Similar disparities were noted in the other states of the North-East region, including Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states.
NEYRA pointed out that projects in Borno are awarded on a rapid-response basis with short-term completion cycles, whereas other states face extended completion periods of up to three or four years.
The North-East Youths Renaissance Assembly (NEYRA) has further raised concerns about the recent approval of the North-East Development Commission’s (NEDC) projects in Bauchi State by the House of Representatives Committee on NEDC. NEYRA alleges that this evaluation lacked transparency, highlighting that Committee Chairman Hon. Usman Zanna, also from the Kanuri ethnic group, selected only six members from the 48-member committee for a public relations inspection.
Additionally, NEYRA revealed that many of the recently commissioned projects in Bauchi, which were praised by the committee, were actually initiated between 2020 and 2021, prior to the current review period. They noted that many of these projects, including mass housing, roads, bridges, mega schools, and community healthcare centers, remain incomplete.
Expressing their frustration, NEYRA has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a forensic probe into the commission’s activities under its current leadership. They warned that the apparent calm in the region might be deceptive and could precede a storm of unrest if these issues are not addressed.
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