Stop Disturbing NEDC MD With False Allegations – Group

The Arewa Round Table Against Corrupt Practices (ARTACP) has explained that all allegations against the Managing Director/CEO of North East Development Commission (NEDC) Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali are concoction of lies, envy and mischievous and to distract him from consolidating on the good work.

The group in a statement signed by its chairman and secretary Hon Lawal Abdullahi and Hon Shaaban Ibrahim and made available to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said the fabrication allegations against the Alkali is being perpetrated is an indication of a ploy to misinform the public in a bid to distract the board or to cause confusion due to envy and mischief.

“The story alleges that Alkali’s son is a major contractor in NEDC. He gave approval and withdrew five billion to purchase military vehicles without consultations with board members and allegations of award of fictitious contracts among others.”

The group said no son of Alkali is a contractor in NEDC or anywhere in Nigeria and there are no fictitious or abandoned projects awarded by the Commission in the region.

“All these mischievious allegations and blatant lies was nothing that could be farther from the truth.”

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 Alka

The group urged 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.

“Alkali has started by repositioning the region through execution of physical and non physical laudable projects and different interventions to bring succour to the people of the north east region.”

“We are indeed proud of Alkali; he has a humble political pedigree, sagacity, and versatility in all fields of human endeavour. We outrightly condemn the sponsors of the false and imaginary write up, we are sad that these self-centered faceless groups did not see anything good in the physical of hundreds of developmental projects being executed by Alkali which was spread across the 112 local government areas of six states in the region.

“But choosing to malign and cast aspersions on the managing director is a shame and unfortunate,” the group added.

“Consequently, we urge relevant respected citizens to ignore all forms of unholy antagonism against Alkali. we called on the security agencies to unravel this faceless group trying to sow a seed of discord in the country and to bring them to justice.”

Chairman of the group, Lawal said the allegations funds misappropriations in NEDC are nothing but mischief paddling and falsehood.