Buhari Names 12 New NEDC Board Members

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed 12 new members take over from the current governing board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

The appointments were contained in a letter Buhari addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, seeking confirmation of the new NEDC appointees.

‘‘In accordance with the provision of Part 1, section 2(5)(b) of the North East Development Commission Establishment Act, 2017, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of twelve (12) nominees as tabulated below, in the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission.

‘‘The Senate is invited to note that the tenure of the current Governing Board of the North East Development Commission will end on 7th May, 2023,” Garba Shehu, Buhari’s senior media assistant, quoted the president as saying in the letter.

The nominees include: Barr. Bashir Bukar Baale, Chairman, (North East, Yobe), Suwaiba Idris Baba, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs, (North East, Taraba), Musa Umar Yashi, Executive Director, Administration and Finance, (North East, Bauchi), Dr Ismaila Nuhu Maksha, Executive Director, Operations (North East, Adamawa) and Umar Abubakar Hashidu, MD/CEO, (North East, Gombe).

Others are Grema Ali, member, (North East, Borno), Onyeka Gospel-Tony, member, (South East), Hon. Mrs Hailmary Ogolo Aipoh, member, (South-South), Air Commodore Babatunde Akanbi (rtd), member, (South West), Mustapha Ahmed Ibrahim, member, (North West), Hadiza Maina, member, (North Central) and a representative from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Buhari asked the Senate to grant his request ‘‘the usual expeditious consideration and confirmation’’ of appointees.

If confirmed, the nominees will take over from the retired Major General Paul Tarfa-led NEDC board inaugurated in 2019 by President Buhari.

The NEDC is charged with the responsibility of assessing and coordinating efforts toward rebuilding of infrastructure and institutions destroyed by terrorists in the North East region which covers Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe States.

Funding of the Commission comes from various sources including the Federal Government, international bilateral donors, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the UN, the European Union, USAID and the UKAID/DFID, among others.