The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has inaugurated the distribution of agricultural inputs and equipment supplied by the North East Development Commission (NEDC), to farmers in the zone.
The vice president also laid the foundation of the over N26.8b NEDC head office complex in Maiduguri.
VP conducted the Ground Breaking ceremony of the 2nd phase of Jere Bowl Road network embarked on by the commission in Borno, on Wednesday.
Shettima speaking on the development lauded the commission for embarking on people oriented projects in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He assured the commission of sustained support in its interventions in all sectors affected by the insurgency in the North East.
“The NEDC is a critical engine driving the development of the North-East.
“In the face of adversity, it has demonstrated resilience, vision, and an unyielding dedication to its mission,” Shettima said.
Also, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mr Mohammed Alkali, said that the commission remained committed to the implementation of the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), which is a holistic roadmap consisting of 11 Pillars that cut across various sectors.
Alkali said the pillars were fashioned to propel Socio- economic development and long-term prosperity in the North-East Region.
“The Master Plan, which is in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Present Administration, requires synergy, cooperation and collaboration by all Stakeholders to make a meaningful impact,” Alkali said.
Alkali urged all stakeholders to join in re-building a safe, peaceful, enterprising and prosperous region.
On his part, Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Tarfa, the Chairman of NEDC Board, reiterated the commitment of the commission to intervene in critical sectors that would impact positively on lives of the resilience people of the zone.
Speaking on behalf of North East governors, the Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, lauded the commission for its interventions across the six states, urging it to stick to its master plan.
Yahaya said that if the commission could deliver 75 per cent of its plan for the zone, it would cover everything in the zone.
Members of House Committees on Special Duties from the National Assembly, who spoke also lauded the commission’s sustained interventions and assured it of the national assembly’s support to continue to deliver.
The e agricultural inputs distributed to farmers at the occasion included rice transplanter, ridger, rice thresher, rotary tiller, iron bull tractor, disc plough and mini rice mill.