Group Refutes Corrupt Allegations Against NEDC Managing Director, Alkali

BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi 

The Coalition Against Corruption and Electoral Offences and Malpractices  (CCEOM) has debunked what it described as blatant lies and figment of imagination the false alarm raised on corrupt practices by the leadership of the North East Development Commission (NEDC). 

The group explained that the allegations against the managing director of the commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali are nothing, but mischievous and borned out of envy against its leadership.

It could be recalled that a non-governmental organization, Coalition of Civil Society Organization Against Corruption in Northern Nigeria (COCSOCINN) recently petitioned 
President Bola Tinubu over N13 billion allegation of corruption leveled against the NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Goni Alkali.

The coalition in a petition statement signed by its national spokesperson, Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi, entitled, “Urgent Petition for Dismissal of the Managing Director of NEDC and Advocacy March on June 4, 2024,” dated May 23, 2024, called for the immediate sack and prosecution of of Alkali. 

Copies of the petition were sent to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

“This petition seeks your immediate dismissal of the Managing Director of the NEDC due to serious allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and direct threats to the life of one of our members Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa of Center for Justice on Religious Ethnicity Nigeria”, the statement said.

“As a whistleblower and an advocate for justice, Rev Dikwa had uncovered substantial evidence indicating that the Vice President, with the assistance of the NEDC Managing Director, illicitly withdrew the sum N13 billion from the coffers of the commission as alleged”. 

However, in a swift reaction by the National Coordinator of the Coalition Against Corruption and Electoral Offences and Malpractices (CCEOM) Hon. Lawan Abdullahi described it as  false allegations against the commission’s managing director, Mohammed Alkali.

Hon. Abdullahi in a press conference at Chart Well Hotel in Bauchi, also described the allegations against Alkali as an indication of a ploy to misinform the public in a bid to distract the board of the commission or to cause confusion due to envy and mischief, stressing “All these are mischievous allegations and blatant lies.” 

“Even though we don’t want to join issues with anybody, we are therefore constrained to respond to the false story about an imaginary allegation of corruption against Alkali. We urge members of the public to disregard the story which is obviously a mischievous concoction of lies designed to sow seeds of discord among members of the board who are united in their resolve to make a difference in the North Eastern States of the federation”.

He noted that the unwarranted attack on Alkali and the false threat by the faceless group was mischievous and based on hatred, malice, envy and ignorance, saying the people behind the statement were feigning ignorance on how the commission operate in order to sway unsuspecting public to their ploy to cause crisis. 

Coordinator further observed that the petitioners from their false allegations proved they don’t even know the procedures of removing money from government coppers, and the limit of the amount of money the MD will approve, and amount above the limit of the MD will be approve by higher authorities.

Abdullahi said “We wish to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim.Shettima for their support to the board. We are proud of Alkali; he has a humble political pedigree, sagacity, and versatility in all fields of human endeavor.

“We outrightly condemn the sponsors of the false and imaginary write up, we are sad that these self-centered faceless group did not see anything good in the physical of hundreds of developmental projects being executed by the Alkali-led development commission which was spread across the 112 local government areas of six states in the region8, but chose to malign and cast aspersions on the managing director its a shame and unfortunate”, Abdullahi concluded.