Reappointment NEDC Board Followed Due Process – NEDA Clear Air

By Khalid Idris Doya

The North East Development Agenda (NEDA) has said that the reappointment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Board Members followed due process as stipulated in the gazetted laws of the commission. 

NEDA refuted the allegations in a section of the media that the reappointment of the NEDC board members did not follow due process, but the group said “thruth of the matter their appointment is meritorious.”

A press release issued by its chairman Alhaji Salihu Magaji and made available to journalists in Bauchi on Monday, observed that the recent reappointment of the board members made by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu didn’t violated the any laws that established the commission for that the hue and cry was not necessary and mischievous.

The group said the reappointment of Mr Paul Tarfa, Goni Mohammed Alkali and other executive Directors followed due process and there is no law that stops the President from reappointing them in the same position and no law stops the senate from confirming their reappointment.

“Their appointment is in consonance with an existing gazetted law that established the commission on the appointment of board members the law no 5 says. The chairman and other members of the board shall be persons of proven integrity and ability and they must be appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate”. 

“Article 3,  said, “Subject to the provisions of section 4 of this Act, a member of the Board other than an ex-officio member, shall hold office for a term of 4 years at the first instance and may be re-appointed for another term of 4 years and no more. Here the constitution is specific.”

“On the issue of rotation may arise when new board members are appointed, because there is no law that said the board members should not be on the position Mr President appointed him, there is nowhere in the law that said they should not be reappointed on their position,” the group added. 

Magaji further said “The people barking were sponsored by the enemies of the commission, enemies of progress of North East zone, people who want to hold on to power by all means not by merit, the sponsored of these petitions are all out to see if they may derail the good intentions of the President, let’s make it boldly we in the North East? We will not be in support of persons with questionable characters who have shown tendencies capable of eroding trust to be handed such an important interventionist agency.”

The group also called on people to give maximum support to the direction the commission is headed under Goni Mohammed Alkali, saying that with the reappointment of Alkali and other Board members there is no doubt that the NEDC is still very much focused. 

“The presently we are satisfied that the Commission is doing the right thing in solving the problems bedevilled the region, because they are driven by the progress of the North East region going forward. We will not support entitlement mentality. It is not just about doing what is good but doing what is right.”  

Magaji said the board as an interventionist agency, knows that the Commission had a responsibility to cater for the welfare of the people and they always intervene to provide the needed succour to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and they are doing their best.