The North East Development Commission, NEDC has rolled-out various intervention programmes for Gombe State.
This was part of its mandate to address the development challenges in the North-East and restore the means of livelihood of those affected by Boko Haram insurgency.
Mr. Mohammed Goni-Alkali, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NEDC said the commission was in Gombe State to formally lay the foundation for the construction of 500 NEDC Model Mass Housing Programme.
It also flagged-off the distribution of food and non-food item distribution as it commissioned the NEDC Covid-19 Laboratory.
The commission handed over refurbished farm centres to the community as it conducted ceremony for graduate beneficiaries of the NEDC ICT programme, among others.
Mr. Alkali said attacks on villages and towns in remote areas led to the massive influx of people into the urban areas, forcing most of them to take shelter in any available public spaces.
He said for over 12 years, the North East Development Commission has been an intervention source.
Constructing 500 houses
He said the successes recorded in the construction of 1000 houses in Borno State, under the Special Presidential intervention, led the commission to replicate the same in the remaining five states of the region, where it was constructing 500 houses in each of the states.
“The Commission reflecting on its mandate decided to replicate same in the other five states of the Region by the construction of 500 Houses in each state. Today, we are realising the actualisation of this commitment by the foundation laying ceremony of 250 Houses here in Gombe Town by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, while the balance of 250 will be spread among other Cities in the State. The following socio-economic facilities would also be provided in the estate: – Reticulated Water Supply, Lightening and commercial spaces amongst others,” Mr. Alkali said.
Deplorable insecurity
He said the commission was handing over food and non-food items to the Gombe State Government to address the rapidly deplorable insecurity situation in Gombe State.
“Today, as part of the strategy, we are going to hand-over the following items to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Gombe State for onward distribution to our people of concern in the State; -Bags of Rice (25kg),10,000, Gallons of Vegetable Oil, 10,000, Cartons of Tomatoes paste, 2,000, Bags of Sugar, 2,000, Packets of Maggi, 1,500, cartons of Spaghetti, 3000. In our continuous support to the IDPs and other vulnerable groups in the state, we are also donating the following non-food items: -Blanket, 2,000 (Pcs), Mats, 2000 (pcs) Mosquito nets, 1,000 (Pcs) and Mosquito hand band, 10,000(Pcs).
Starter Packs
Also, during the official flag-off in Gombe, the 204 beneficiaries of the NEDC ICT programme graduated and were provided with free starter packs and the sum of 20 thousand naira as start-up of capital incentive.
Mr. Alkali said this was part of the intervention, which targeted local content driven industry that delivers socio-economic services.
“Considering the profound demand, the Commission will establish two more centers in the state, one in Kaltungu and the other in Dadin Kowa Town, thereby covering the three Senatorial Districts,” Mr. Alkali said.
Five farming centres
He handed over NEDC remodelled and upgraded in the state with full complement tractors implement, as part of the commission’s Rapid Respond Initiative Programme.
Similarly, he announced that very soon, the commission would commence the implementation of the NEDC-Education Endowment Fund, by awarding scholarships to deserving candidates across the North East Region for the 2021/2022 academic session.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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