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From Paul Orude Bauchi
North East Elders and Youth Peoples Forum has commended the leadership of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for initiating the N31.5 trillion development plan for the region, saying it will address the devastation caused by insurgency.
Chairman of the forums, Salisu Magaji, who stated this at a press briefing in Bauchi, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to approve the development plan for immediate implementation by relevant stakeholders given the inherent benefit to communities in the region. NEDC’s leadership had announced a 10-year North East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) recently staying it would facilitate the transformative growth of the region while also lifting citizens out of poverty. Magaji said the development plan showed the patriotism, doggedness, commitment and accountability of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali.
He lamented that the North East region was the most backward and neglected in the country despite its historic position and status in the history of Nigeria.
“Today our region has suffered a lot of setbacks as a result of insurgency as well as recent climate change effects,” he said.
He said the development plan showed Alkali’s mission and vision to remove the region from its predicament and current woes.
NEDC was established to rebuild the North-East region following the onslaught of Boko Haram insurgency resulting in loss of lives and destruction of property and displacement of millions of people in the region.
Magaji said in less than four years following its establishment, NEDC has made great strides towards achieving its mandate of managing funds for the recovery, stabilisation, and long-term social-economic development of the North East.
