NEDC MD Alkali bags exemplary leadership award.

Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The North East Elders and Youth Peoples Forum, NEEYPF, has given the award of exemplary leadership to Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Addressing a Press Conference at Chartwell Hotel, Bauchi, the Chairman NEEYPF, Alhaji Salisu Magaj, said the award was part of activities to mark the end of the year 2023 efforts of stakeholders in rebuilding the North East sub-region after insurgency.

“Alkali was recognized for his outstanding contribution in the strategic and developmental peace-building process and action plans in the sub region,” Magaji said.

Chairman, NEEYPF, Alhaji Salisu Magaji says award bestowed on the MD/CEO of NEDC well-deserved

Magaji said the award was a given to the MD of NEDC for his outstanding contribution to peace and development to encourage other leaders to perform their best in ensuring peace and development while discharging their responsibilities.

The NEEYPF Chairman explained that the tradition of the group was to annually recognise and honour notable key leaders in the society in recognition of their humility, accountability, transparency, and positive efforts, contributions, support and assistance to peace and development processes as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction infrastructural facilities in North East.

He said Alkali was identified for the award which is critical for recognition as catalyst for strategic and developmental peace building process and actions plans.

Magaji listed many viable projects that has direct bearing towards improvement of the lives of people that were either executed or are ongoing in all the 112 local government areas in the region.

He said the projects included construction of 3500 mass housing in six states, construction of mega schools in 18 senatorial zones, that is three mega in each state and one per senatorial District and constructions of many roads like Gombe-Abba – kirfi road and Alkaleri-Futuk road.

He said as beneficiaries of NEDC legacy projects he was recognized after assessing Alkali’s performance and his effort in rebuilding North East.

“Today, it is quite evident that the man is an administrator intent on delivering self-evident democratic dividends,” he said.

“The lesson, apparently, is that it is good for a quintessential leader to have an idea of what he intends to do and, more crucially, how to do it.

“Now, the reality has dawned on the naysayers because the Alkali has proven to solve the above riddle by coordinating, harmonizing,  and overseeing the success of many intervention and initiative programmes for the Northeastern States through his effective, top, and outstanding managerial skills.

“His achievements are projects everywhere.

“Like “the provision of 1000 housing units in Borno State provision of  several centres and food to the people of Borno State is highly commendable.

“Let us recall that sometime in 2019, the president in all his wisdom declared a 10,000 housing programme in order to resettle families who have been displaced due to terrorism.

“Alkali is building five hundred Houses in Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba , Gombe, and Bauchi apart from the 1000 houses he built in Borno State In addition to the housing units, other essential amenities such as solar-powered street lights and boreholes, a police-station and a motor-park were provided in the area.

“Provisions for schooling were also made available and the beneficiaries received food and other relief items.

“The commission also empowered many farmers by providing them with agricultural machinery and equipment, seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and extension services logistics’ vehicles annually under a programme tagged; “Integrated Agriculture Programme” (IAP).

“It covers the whole 112 LGAs in the Northeast. The NEDC is also into skills acquisition, training and provision of starter packs to Information Communication Technology (ICT), trainees. Alkali devoted part of his time in giving.

“Entrepreneurship, and vocational skills a boost.

“Each of the 1,028 wards of the Northeast region, The NEDC has empowered women and youths in order to divert attention from the attractions of conscription into Boko Haram.

“The mandate handed to the NEDC by the Nigerian government might seem like an easy one superficially, but in reality, it is far from that.

“Bringing relief to a region corroded by terrorism is a herculean task.

“As sophisticated as the United Nations is, it still faces many challenges when it comes to providing relief and humanitarian aid to war-torn areas or areas plagued by terrorism.

“When you compared his achievements and the projects executed to us in the North East Akali is a man of integrity and good standing.

“We quite appreciate his humility, inclusiveness, we love his exceptional leadership style, which we believe is worthy of emulation by any visionary leader.

“The provision of the housing units and other amenities is just a foretaste of the many achievements to be made by the NEDC.

“I believe that soon, the North-East will be completely restored to not just its former glory, but makes it better”

“By the grace of God we will fix a date that we will present the award to him in a colourful ceremony.

“And we are appealing to traditional institutions to give Alkali a befitting tittle as a mark of appreciation to his developmental and impactful projects”