By Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
The North East Development Commission North (NEDC) says it has started building mega schools in the sub-region to reduce the number of out of school children
Managing Director of the Commission Muhammad Goni Alkali who said this during two-day inspection tour embarked upon by the House of Representatives’s committee on NEDC as part of it’s oversight function.
He stressed that the issue of out-of-school children has become a menace in the subregion and it must be tackled from all angles the more reason NEDC saw it necessary to intervene in the area.
According to him, “Without school structures, you cannot fight out-of-school syndrome. There must be a place to take the children to in order to keep them in school. That is what we are doing here in Bauchi and the other states.”
Alkali added that the commission will do everything possible to join the six states to fight the menace and ensure that children have a conducive environment for learning.
He assured that the project will soon be completed and handed over to Bauchi state Government for use stressing that, “The children are from the state, so, the school belongs to the state.”
On maintenance, the NEDC MD/CEO said that “The Commission will work with the Bauchi State Government to maintain the structure, though it will be handed over to the government, NEDC will keep eyes on its usage and will come in from time to time.”
He then commended the contractors for a job well done so far urging them to deliver on schedule.
Meanwhile at the end of a 2-day inspection tour of ongoing projects embarked upon by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in Bauchi State, House of Representative Committee on NEDC has cleared the Commission of bias and or discrimination in siting projects in the Six States that make up the subregion.
The Krestnews reports that North-east region, consisting of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba States, has battled with insurgency that has resulted in the death and displacement of millions of people.
The region is home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with millions of people displaced as a result of the 13-year-old conflict.
The NEDC is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of infrastructure for victims of terrorism as well as tackle poverty, illiteracy and other challenges in the region. NEDC with Corporate headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
Recall that some groups had in recent times agitated for the removal of the Management led by the MD /CEO, Muhammad Goni Alkali over allegations of lopsided project execution and corruption.
Speaking to Journalists on Friday at the end of its oversight functions, the Committee dismissed all the allegations that the Commission is being lopsided in its project’s distribution across the subregion.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Usman Zanna, said: “I want to clear the insinuations that the MD and the NEDC are only doing jobs in one particular area of the subregion. By seeing these, we, as a Committee have to clear that insinuation. The MD is really working in all the states.”
Usman Zannah added, “I want to appeal to the Management of the Commission to collaborate with the House to look for more funding outside the government revenue. We have to think outside the box to go and look for more funding at the United Nations and other agencies of government.”
The Committee Chairman added, “When we return to Abuja, we will discuss more and how to get more funds to continue this good work they are doing.”
Members of the Committee arrived Bauchi on Wednesday.
They took tour to inspect some ongoing projects embarked upon by the Commission in the state including the failed Bauchi-Gombe road, Kirfi-Gombe-Abba road, Mega School, constriction and equipping of Medical Emergency Complex, and the Institute of Ophthalmology Complex at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi as well as the State office complex of Commission along Jos road amongst others