FG Charges Regional Development Commissions to be Fair, Equitable

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has urged the regional development commissions to ensure fair resource distribution for all communities

Momoh said the development commissions should carry all communities along in their activities in order to transform the regions into models of resilience and prosperity.

A statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Sani Datti, said the minister also urged them to partner state governments, the private sector, development partners, and communities.

Datti said the minister gave the charge at the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) two-day workshop on the review of policy roadmap, held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

He said: “Mr. President has always emphasized that development must not be concentrated only in urban areas; it must spread to every region, every state, and every community. The development commissions were set up to serve as vehicles to drive these developments.”

According to Momoh, the federal government is determined to harness the strength of the regions, their unique resources, people, and opportunities to drive national growth.

“For the North Central region, this is a moment of renewal. This region is blessed with vast agricultural potential, solid minerals, and resilient people, which hold the key to food security for the entire country, not just Nasarawa State,” the minister said.

The minister commended the Commission for its foresight in developing a roadmap on how the Commission’s resources will be utilized in the region.

He equally urged the Commission to work tirelessly to achieve the desired results, assuring them of the ministry’s support.

“Once you are doing the right thing, you have our support; it’s only when you deviate that we will draw back, because it is the ministry that will be held accountable if things go wrong with the development commissions.” he said

On his part, the Minister of State, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, advised the commission to work together with state governments, communities, businesses, and donor partners, and to think of long-term solutions that last – not just quick fixes.

He urged them to be accountable with clear timelines and regular public updates and further stated the ministry, alongside the National Assembly, will follow up on all funds appropriated to the Commission to ensure it stays on track and not to micromanage the Commission, but to help it remain focused.

 “Together, we will deliver on the responsibilities assigned to us by Mr. President, and in the end, the North Central region and Nigeria will be a better nation we can all be proud of,” he added.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mary Ogbe, highlighted five key anchors and urged the Commission to focus on: Policy coherence and prioritization; Evidence and performance management with integrated data; Local content and community ownership; Partnership and financing; and Sustainability, resilience, and maintenance of culture.

She called on the Commission to come up with a 100-day implementation plan and identify the top five priorities to ensure fair and equitable development, so as to eliminate injustice that often leads to unrest.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of NCDC, Dr. Cyril Tsenyil, said that since their inauguration in August, the management had embarked on a series of activities aimed at laying a strong foundation for the take-off of the Commission.

These activities include; establishing an operational structure, reaching out to key stakeholders, and forming strategic partnerships.

“We have received very encouraging goodwill and responses from both local and international organizations willing to work with us in achieving our goals,” he said.

“Our partner, Spring, has provided us with seasoned experts to guide our discussions in key thematic areas, including the socio-economic and cultural profiles of the North Central region, challenges and opportunities, institutional governance and accountability, and peace and security as a panacea for sustainable development in the North Central,” he added.

The deputy governor, who represented Governor Abdullahi Sule commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Commission, describing it as timely.

He urged the Commission to pay attention to agriculture, solid minerals, youth development, unemployment, and security, among others, with a view to providing sustainable solutions.