North East Development Commission Boss Under Fire, Criticized by Gov. Zulum for Excluding Key Officials from Decision-making

By Our Reporter / Posted June 1, 2025

The North-East Youths Renaissance Assembly (NEYRA) has expressed deep concern over the public rebuke by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, directed at the leadership of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) during the commissioning of multiple humanitarian and infrastructure projects last week in Maiduguri, the state’s capital.

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While the occasion marked the inauguration of over 10 development projects and was attended by dignitaries from across the country, the atmosphere was marred by Governor Zulum’s strong criticisms of the Commission’s internal operations. He publicly accused the NEDC’s Managing Director, Mohammed Goni Alkali, of sidelining key officials in decision-making, particularly the Executive Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Malam Musa Yashi.

Governor Zulum’s comments highlighted a breakdown in protocol and management harmony within the Commission. At one of the events, he had publicly questioned why responsibilities of the Humanitarian Affairs Directorate were reassigned to the Executive Director, Operations, without explanation. At another, he pointedly stated that the only person deserving of credit for the humanitarian interventions was Malam Musa Yashi, drawing thunderous applause from other dignitaries, including the Minister of State for Regional Development, HE Barr. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, and Members of the National Assembly.

The North-East Youths Renaissance Assembly notes with sadness the implications of the Governor’s outburst, especially as it suggests discord within the Commission tasked with post-insurgency recovery and humanitarian efforts across the region. This public episode raises serious questions about the internal governance, transparency, and functional synergy of the NEDC at a time when unity and coordinated action are vital to the region’s recovery.

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NEYRA urges the leadership of the Commission to address the concerns raised, restore professionalism in its operations, and ensure that due credit is accorded to all deserving personnel, in order to foster a culture of integrity, inclusivity, acknowledgement and collaboration in rebuilding the North-East.

NEYRA’s key allegations border on marginalization of key departments, governance concerns, favouritism and nepotism and obvious inefficiencies, among others.

The group appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to launch an urgent investigation aimed at restoring the credibility and statutory function of the NEDC, saying the intervention of Governor Zulum shows that the contextual issues are now public spotlight transcending internal bureaucratic politics, requiring urgent action, thereof.

Parts of the Press Statement signed by NEYRA’s Chairman and Secretary, Comrade Bukar Shehu Lawan and Comrade Umar Isa, respectively, read: “For us, this is high time that something drastic was done by the Government to arrest this glaring abuse of power and authority by no other person than the MD who has consciously or unconsciously constituted himself as cog in the wheel of progress”, according to a senior Officer of the Commission who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We know that the North East Development Commission, NEDC has three Directorates, namely; Humanitarian Affairs, Operations and Administration and Finance. “

“Of the three Departments, the Humanitarian Affairs is considered the most critical and the engine room of the Commission as all activities and programmes revolve around humanitarian interventions upon which the Commission was mainly established.”

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“However, it was observed that particularly in the last two years, the Humanitarian Affairs Directorate headed by a Presidential Humanitarian Award Winner of 2022, seems completely neglected while the other Directorates have seemingly usurped its functions and responsibilities as Governor Zulum rightly observed. “

“For us as concerned Northeasterners, if the truth must be told, the share of the blame falls directly on no other person than the Managing Director, Mohammed Goni Alkali, who deliberately prefers dealing with the Executive Directors of Operations and that of Administration and Finance who is seen as his errand boy. “

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, we observed that contrary to the Act Establishing the NEDC, the bulk of activities and operations of the Commission, were being outsourced to the other Departments, effectively rendering the Humanitarian Affairs Department groundless and redundant.”

“So far, over 80% of all the major contracts and programmes of the Commission have been diverted to the Directorate of Operations, a situation that undoubtedly fired the imagination of HE Borno State Governor and the public query”

“Any wonder then that this lopsided and seemingly fixed operational modality that Governor Zulum publicly scolded the Management of the NEDC with the hope of redressing and correcting the abnormality.”

“Beyond the incident, we have it on good authority that the MD is actively promoting acts of favouritism and nepotism in the organisation. For instance, there are situations where staff are employed and redeployed to Departments without following due process which is contrary to civil service rules.”

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“These acts of favouritism is deliberately employed to buy blind loyalty and support from those officers in the course of performing their duties. They run contrary to public service rules and should not be entertained at all.”

The group emphasized that this consequent call represents a public accountability demand from stakeholders in the Northeast in order to avert serious implications for the future of the NEDC, as the current leadership is creating yawning gaps in its operations in conflict with public expectations.