By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, an activist and pastor, has raised concerns over alleged unresolved tenure extension issues within the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC), describing the situation as a significant threat to the transparency and accountability expected of the commission.
Rev. Dikwa, who serves as the Director General of the Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, made these claims in a statement issued and made available to newsmen over the weekend.
He stated, “The Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) was established in 2017, and the current Managing Director (MD), Mohammed Goni Alkali, was appointed as the pioneer MD of the commission. His four-year tenure was supposed to end in 2021, but due to illegality and the inability of the Nigerian government under former President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure was extended by two years, leading to an overstay of up to six years without his appointment being renewed.”
Rev. Dikwa further explained that in 2023, immediately after the elections, President Buhari appointed a new MD of the NEDC, Engr. Umar Abubakar Hashidu, along with new Executive Directors. However, the new appointees did not assume office before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeded Buhari. “Upon assuming office, Vice President Kashim Shettima reversed the new appointments, reinstating Mohammed Goni Alkali, who continues to occupy the office of the MD illegally,” Dikwa added.
The activist claimed that the reinstatement was part of a hidden agenda between MD Goni Alkali and Vice President Shettima, involving financial interests within the commission. He called on President Tinubu to address the alleged illegality by suspending the MD and ensuring a thorough investigation into the NEDC’s financial activities.
Efforts to reach Dr. Nuhu Maksha, one of the appointees whose position was allegedly reversed by the Vice President, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls seeking clarification on the allegations.
