The Arewa Round Table Against Corrupt Practices (ARTACP), and Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Governance (COTAG) yesterday tasked the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the leadership of Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali to ensure it achieves its mandate.
Recall that Alkali was recently reappointed as MD of NEDC.
ARTACP, in a statement by the chairman of, Hon. Lawal Abdullahi and its secretary, Hon. Shaaban Ibrahim, tasked Alkali to focus on the task before him and not be distracted by a false report allegation that his son is a contractor in the commission.
Abdullahi, who said the allegations are borne out of envy and mischief, and aimed at misinforming the public and distracting the Board of the commission, however said the expectation before Alkali was high.
“These false allegations against the managing director NEDC are being perpetrated as a ploy to misinform the public in a bid to distract the Board or to cause confusion due to envy and mischief.”
While commending President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for reappointing the board, the statement added, “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 State”.
On its part, COTAG said it would have amounted to a great disservice to the mandate of the commission, if President Tinubu had succumbed to pressures to change the leadership.
Country director of the coalition, Comrade Adetunji Ojo Bello, in a statement, said “We followed events that played out before President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu reappointed Alhaji Goni Alkali as the managing director of North East Development Commission and we were satisfied that the President did not give in to distractions.
“Despite facing the huge challenge of insurgency on daily basis, Alkali was able to touch virtually all areas of necessities, which include, infrastructural development, health care, education, agriculture and youth empowerment, among others; these he did across the six states making up the North East region of Nigeria.
“Thus, we were not surprised that, against all odds, the Governors from the six states of the region all endorsed the reappointment of Alhaji Alkali, for his sense of responsibility, integrity, probity, accountability and service delivery, especially, to humanity”, the Coalition said.
