The board of the North Central Department Commission (NCDC) on Wednesday held its inaugural meeting and resolved to develop a tentative plan to address the humanitarian crisis triggered by insecurity and floods.
The development blueprint also encapsulates a holistic plan to bridge the region’s huge infrastructural deficit, which it has been grappling with for many decades.
The commission’s managing director and chief executive officer, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, disclosed this during a press briefing at the end of the Lafia, Nasarawa State meeting.
According to Dr Tsenyil, the inaugural meeting was held to initiate the plans, strategies, responsibilities, and guidelines for the commission’s operations.
The managing director acknowledged that the incessant conflict between farmers and herders had retarded the region’s development and displaced hundreds of inhabitants who were constantly caught in the mayhem.
He noted that apart from the insecurity, the region is at the receiving end of the yearly floods which destroyed farmland, crops and homes, while also rendering many homeless.
“We are laying out a comprehensive plan to drive the resettlement process of people displaced by insecurity and floods. We are deeply concerned by the crisis and committed to addressing the problem.
“We are mindful of the areas that need immediate attention in the lives of the people of the North Central region. These cut across physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, resettlement and rehabilitation, economic recovery, health, housing, water and energy, peace and security, education, environmental restoration, transportation, and agriculture,” he stated.
He said that in carrying out its assignment, the board will be guided by the Act establishing the NCDC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Administration policies.
“Our focus is to carry out projects that fill the existing development gaps in the region in such a way that creates integrated development for the prosperity of the people.
“We are assuring the people of North Central Region that we will be fair and carry every state along in our operations,” he noted.
The managing director thanked President Tinubu for the political will that led to the commission’s emergence and for allowing the board to serve the region and country.
He also appreciated Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for his commitment to the region’s development and for providing various support for the commission’s smooth operation.
“Only yesterday, he handed over to us the Headquarters of the NCDC, which was donated and furnished by the Stet Government. In addition, he had provided a temporary office space for us at the Nasarawa State liaison office in Abuja, where we use for our operations at the Federal Capital. These and more acts of benevolence have demonstrated that citing the headquarters of the NCDC in Lafia was indeed a worthwhile decision.
“We are also grateful to the Governors of the six north central States and the Honourable Minister of the FCT for their solidarity and commitment demonstrated in various ways, which have enabled us to hit the ground running,” he said.
