Still on the N/East development commission

 As the deliberation for the inclusion of Kano and Plateau states continues, I think those who are accusing the North Eastern youths as been sentimental are not been fair to us. In all our agitations, we made it very clear that the North Eastern youths are not in any way against the inclusion of Kano […]

 As the deliberation for the inclusion of Kano and Plateau states continues, I think those who are accusing the North Eastern youths as been sentimental are not been fair to us.

In all our agitations, we made it very clear that the North Eastern youths are not in any way against the inclusion of Kano and Plateau states in the ongoing bill for the Establishment of North East Development Commission.

We also clearly pointed out that we acknowledged the fact that we received various solidarity from our neighboring states and outside world during the high tension of facing Boko Haram insurgency.

But to my greatest surprise all those accusing us of been sentimental refused to acknowledge the fact that we commend the effort of those state and we are not in any way denying them from been part of us.

We are in an educated society, the North East Development Commission which is undergoing debate process in the Senate before moving to the Federal House of Representatives have certain goals, aim and objectives.

Nigerians should know that we welcome the involvement of any state that was directly or indirectly affected by the insurgency but not under NEDC, the Senate may find it deem fit to change the name to any other thing.

I also want to inform my fellow youths that we are not after the 3% percent federation’s value added tax (VAT) that will be allocated to the commission for a period of 10 years or the other sources of funding of the commission which include 15 per cent of allocation to the states as well as a 50 per cent deduction of the ecological fund due to the six North Eastern states, we are totally advocating for the total RECONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION, RESETTLEMENT and REINTEGRATION of the North East.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan claimed to had squeeze N2 billion to rebuild the six states of the zone in the 2014 budget; that is, after donating the same amount to Nollywood and allocating N100 billion for the Niger Delta Development Commission in the same budget.

By the virtue of the above caption, I stand with the involvement of North East state only in the North East Development Commission, while a special intervention program should be introduced on the other affected states, but if the agitators for the involvement of Kano and Plateau State insist, then the name of the commission, it goals, aim and objectives should be totally reviewed and all states affected should be fully involved.

Comrade Shettima Umar writes from Maiduguri, Borno State  08066229463.