Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has reiterated the commitment of the state government to key into the the activities of the North East Development Commission(NEDC) in its efforts towards bringing development to the region that was ravaged by insurgency.
Governor Mohammed who disclosed this when he received the Management of the North East Development Commission(NEDC) at the Council Chamber, Government House, Bauchi. also pledged to work with the commission in view of the challenges affecting critical sectors of the state economy for the advancement of the state.
He attributed the high rate of out of school children and poverty in the state to the influx of IDPs that have been fully integrated into the society.
The Governor pleaded with the management of the commission to consider Bauchi State in the allocation of resources in view of the determination of his administration towards accommodating those affected by the insurgency.
The governor expressed confidence that with the establishment of the North East Development Commission, the challenges militating against the progress of the zone would be addressed.
Earlier, the Chairman of the North East Development Commission, Major General Paul Tarfa(rtd), explained that the commission had been mandated to manage funds allocated to the states affected by insurgency for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and construction of roads and houses of the victims.
Others, according to him, are to tackle the menace of poverty, illiteracy, ecological problems and any other environmental or developmental challenges in the North East.
The chairman, who described Bauchi State as a critical stakeholder in the region currently hosting a lot of IDPs in the host communities, said the Commission would work with the state government by keying into its laudable projects of economic development and empowerment.
He said the commission would establish state offices in Bauchi and other states of the region for effective implementation of the commission’s master plan.
