- By Kamil Opeyemi
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has presented palliatives worth N15b to the six states in the region.
The states include Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba States.
Food and non-food items were presented to the governors of the states by Vice President Kashim Shettima at a ceremony on Saturday in Maiduguri.
Shettima, who lauded the management of NEDC for prudent management of scarce resources, said that the destruction in the six states was worth nine billion dollars.
According to him, in Borno alone, the destruction is worth 6.8 billion dollars.
Shetima also performed the ground breaking of the 22.5 km Mafa-Jere road project being undertaken by NEDC.
He urged the commission to consider handling some critical federal roads linking states in the region to facilitate socioeconomic activities.
NEDC managing director Mohammed Alkali, in a remark, said that the provision of the N15b food palliatives was in line with the Federal Government’s initiative to cushion the hardship faced by the less privileged.
“Current economic situations have led to soaring prices of food items and heightened food insecurity nationwide.
President Bola Tinubu on July 31 announced some short and medium-term measures to ease the economic hardship faced by the region whacked by violent crises over the years.
Alkali said that the 22.5km road linking communities in Mafa and Jere was part of the 38.66km Zabarmari Area Roads Network from Ngowom-Koshebe, Galameri-Dusuman and Khaddamari-Zabarmari-Gongolong.
He said that the road was part of the network of roads being executed by the commission to provide access to Jere Bowl, an important agrarian locality in Borno, to enhance security and mobility of people and goods.
“Similar road projects such as the 32km Dabna-Garkida Road in Adamawa, 53km Kirfi-Gombe Abba Road in Bauchi and Gombe States, and 54km Mutai-Ngalda Road in Yobe State, among others, are ongoing.
“There are also other projects of the commission in other sectors such as Mass Housing, Mega Schools, Hospitals, etc.
“These infrastructural projects are the strides the commission has been taking towards the development of the region as captured in the 11 Pillars of North-East Master Plan.
“They are also in tandem with the Federal Government’s initiatives to address the critical infrastructural deficit and catalyse long-term socio-economic development.”
In his remarks, the NEDC board Chairman, Maj. Gen. Paul Tarfa (rtd), thanked the reconstituted board and lauded the transfer of the commission’s supervision from the ministry to the presidency.
Items presented included rice, cartons of spaghetti/macaroni, gallons of vegetable oil, blankets, mats, clothing materials for men, women and children, among others.