Buhari jumps Senate, orders North-East Commission MD, board to resume

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the resumption of the new board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) without the approval of the Senate.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Umar Abubakar Hashidu and other board members were directed to resume immediately.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu said the order follows the expiration of the tenure of the former Board on May 7, 2023.

A statement on Friday said the President expects the immediate completion of handover formalities in the organisation in the coming days.

Shehu said the federal government doesn’t want a vacuum in the day-to-day running of the “strategic commission”, pending the confirmation by the Senate.

Barrister Bukar Baale is the Chairman; Suwaiba Idris Baba, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs (Taraba); Musa Umar Yashi, Executive Director, Administration and Finance (Bauchi).

Others are Dr Ismaila Nuhu Maksha, Executive Director, Operations (Adamawa), and Umar Abubakar Hashidu, MD/CEO (Gombe).

Members representing regions are Air Commodore Babatunde Akanbi (rtd) (South West), Mustapha Ahmed Ibrahim (North West), Hadiza Maina (North Central) Onyeka Gospel-Tony (South East) and Mrs Hailmary Ogolo Aipoh (South-South).

Director of Humanitarian Affairs Department, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Grema Ali and a representative from the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning are also on the board.