…Advices NEDC To Be More Active And Transparent
By Saeed Ahmad Bappah, Gombe
The Chairman of the North Eastern Cooperatives Stakeholders Forum, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, (Castic) has urged the military government of Niger Republic to reintegrate into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in order to restore its political and economic vitality.
During a briefing with journalists in Gombe, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo stated that Niger Republic’s decision, under the military leadership of General Abdulrahman Chani, to withdraw from ECOWAS has not been beneficial but instead has led to significant economic and diplomatic challenges for the nation.
He affirmed that the strong relationship between Northern Nigeria and Niger Republic remains robust and unaffected, despite the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
On the other edge, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo made a clarion call on the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to declare all support collected from international donor agencies, make their budget visible to all and create a budgetary spending pamphlet of the previous years and the present 2025.
He said by doing so it will earn them more trust from the side of the government and educated people from the zone.
Barrister Abdullahi Jalo also announced the recent inauguration of members of the North Eastern Cooperatives Stakeholders Forum in Bauchi State and encouraged them to actively contribute to the forum’s success and progress in the region.
He noted that the forum aims to collaborate with German authorities to empower its members through agricultural production and modern entrepreneurial practices.
He also said the forum has made significant efforts in assisting their members during the last rainy season.
The forum’s chairman recognized the efforts of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Muhammad, praising her for engaging in productive dialogue with business communities in North Western Nigeria to attract foreign investment into various socio-economic sectors of the country.
He praised her as a native of Gombe State, highlighting her significant contributions in numerous humanitarian endeavors, including her work with the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the United Nations, among others.
He advised her to consider bringing such gestures to her region the North Eastern part of the country being it more devastating in poverty and joblessness.
He also cautions Federal Government in the recent upward review of the 2025 Budget estimate with about five trillion; from 49 trillion to 54 trillion.
He said the review upward is not the problem but creating additional deficit and unrealistic budget is the concern of Nigerians despite the federal government saying that it has realized more revenue from Federal Inland Revenue and Nigeria Customs Service.