…warns board members against corruption, poor projects executiion
President Bola Tinubu has directed the timely release of funds due to the Regional Development Commissions, warning their boards and management against corruption, waste, and projects that do not directly benefit the people.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday while declaring the opening of the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organized by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja.
The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, said the Federal Government would continue to provide political and financial support to the commissions to enable them to implement projects that could unlock the country’s economic and industrial potential.
In a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the SGF, Mr Yomi Odunuga, Tinubu urged the commissions to explore alternative sources of funding rather than depend solely on government allocations.
He identified public-private partnerships, donor funding, and development financing as some of the options available to the commissions.
“Government will continue to give the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions the political and financial backing to embark on key projects that will unlock the economic and industrial potentials of the nation.
“I therefore direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ensure that all funds accruable to the Commissions are released as and when due,” he said.
Tinubu said the establishment of the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding gaps across the country.
He stressed that the commissions were not created to replace, duplicate, or take over the functions of any tier of government.
“Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,” he said.
According to the president, the commissions are expected to focus on priorities that can unlock the potential of their respective regions while promoting interconnectivity across the country.
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He identified roads, rail, air transportation, industrialization, security, investment, human capital development, education, and health as key areas requiring attention.
Tinubu urged the commissions to develop programs that were clear, attainable, and properly funded, warning them against embarking on white elephant projects.
“The era of white elephant projects is over, and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds,” he said.
He also directed the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operated within the Regional Development Policy Document, while the legislature was expected to provide the required oversight.
The president warned the boards and management against corruption, marginalization, politicization, and ethnicization in the running of the commissions.
“Such actions will not be tolerated, and the government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” the president said.
Speaking on the North Central region, Tinubu said the area had significant potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid mineral development and processing, industrial development, and peace and security.
He said the region had remained below its potential for too long and urged stakeholders to use the summit to establish a new direction for its development.
The President also acknowledged the security challenges facing the North Central, saying the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established additional formations, deployed more personnel, increased the prosecution of criminals, and supported dialogue and reconciliation efforts.
He urged the NCDC to complement government efforts to stabilize the region, stressing that development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.
Tinubu described the theme of the summit, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural, and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” as appropriate.
He said the summit provided an opportunity for stakeholders to develop a consensus-driven development plan for the region.
The president urged participants to scrutinize the proposed plan to ensure that it reflected the aspirations of the people and aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also cautioned against allowing the summit to become another forum where ideas were discussed and reports produced without implementation.
“This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left dusting on the shelves. The NCDC should show a better example by following through to implementation,” he said.
Tinubu further urged the commissions to seek alternative sources of funding, including public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing, where permitted by their establishing laws and government guidelines.
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