By Matthew Johnson
When President Muhammadu Buhari conceived the idea of establishing the North East Development commission (NEDC), in order to help reconstruct the North Eastern region after the damage done to the region by the Boko Haram insurgents, not many thought the commission would record the huge successes it has achieved within a short period of time it was established.
For an interventionist agency like the NEDC, anybody heading it has to possess many undisputable qualities. As new agency inaugurated in 2019, the pioneer Managing Director had to first of all, be competent, incorruptible, compassionate, courageous, brave and intelligent, humane, kind and must not shy away from taking critical decisions that are for the overall good of the Commission and the people it is meant to serve.
Luckily for the people of the North East, the pioneer Managing Director of the Commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali, possess all these qualities, and has deployed same to turn the story of the Commission around, even after spending just a few years on the saddle as the Head of the Commission.
As someone thoroughly equipped with knowledge and experience, having attended several prestigious universities including Bayero University, University of London, Harvard Business School and the Columbia University, Mohammed Alkali, has shaped himself with all it takes to excel in any leadership position he is saddled with. Above all, the man has no questionable character; he is transparent and is simply a perfect gentlemen.
Mohammed Alkali, is indeed a patriotic servant and one that is more than committed to the restoration of normalcy in North-East Nigeria, in fulfillment of the strategic objective of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration for establishing the NEDC. The man, Mohammed Alkali, has so far proven to be a patriotic servant, a courageous leader, excellent manager that leads with the spirit of love, outmost concern and understanding for the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
The most interesting part of Mohammed Alkali, is the fact that he has been a silent achiever, delivering on his mandate with a humane face and kindness. He is a gentleman per excellence, and has been working assiduously to ensure that the people of the region forget the sorrow and the misfortune Boko Haram terrorism forced on them.
For a government agency that was inaugurated barely three years ago, the NEDC under Mohammed Alkali, has through effective and topnotch managerial skills, recorded huge and incredible successes in the intervention programmes of the Commission in the North Eastern states of Nigeria. There is no doubt that, the Commission is one of the shining lights of the President Mohammadu Buhari led administration, having achieved a lot in fulfilling its given mandate issued to it by the president during its inauguration in 2019.
For instance, the NEDC under Dr. Mohammed Alkali, has provided 1000 housing units to the people of Borno State alone, who were displaced by the Boko haram insurgency. The housing units consists of four blocks of well-furnished 2-bedroom detachable flats with verandas and a courtyard in a cluster arrangement. This is aside other interventions such as the provision of agricultural machinery and equipment, provision of seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and services under a programme tagged: Integrated Agriculture Programme (IAP), which covers all the 112 local government areas in the North Eastern States. The Commission has also implemented the rehabilitation of drinking water and sanitation facilities in states in North-Eastern Nigeria. This project is part of the Multispectral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) with the support of the World Bank.
Again, the Commission under the compassionate leadership of Mohammed Alkali, has been granting scholarships to students studying in different institutions of learning. It has also at different intervals, organized entrepreneurship, vocational and skills acquisition trainings for both the youth and women in the region, with starter packs provided for the trainees. This has kept the youth and women of the zone busy, dissuading them from become willing tools in the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal gangs. These interventions have served as a huge relief to the people of area and have also given them a sense of belonging.
Through sheer dedication and determination, the Commission has so far managed to achieve many of its set objectives. It has been able to surmount the many challenges it has been faced with, by spearheading effective rehabilitation and resettlement programmes, as well as construction and development of social and physical infrastructure in the North Eastern region of the country.
It is heartwarming to know that, while other similar government agencies in the country are always in the news over failure to achieve their mandates due to flagrant corruption, the NEDC under the leadership of Mohammed Alkali, has shown transparency by ensuring all the funds received by the Commission are put to good and proper use for the people of the North East. Despite the huge amount of funds that passes through the NEDC, the idea of siphoning such funds has never been contemplated, solely because of the integrity of Mohammed Alkali, who is heading the Commission. His visionary leadership, unquestionable character and good standing has rubbed-off on everyone at the Commission, and it is an attestation that he means well for the people of the North East and Nigeria at large.
Indeed, Mohammed Alkali has demonstrated that he is a man with great foresight and courage. His great intelligence and sagacity as the Managing Director of NEDC is obvious. He has proven that indeed, he is a round peg in a round hole. His humane display and compassion for the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, is largely responsible for the massive successes the NEDC has recorded in the North-East, since its establishment to rehabilitate the region.
What differentiates him from many leaders in the country today is that, he is kind to a fault; he is a caring leader with a heart of gold. His love for humanity is unquantifiable. The NEDC Managing Director has done so well for his people, by uplifting the downtrodden through his people oriented programmes and activities. Yet, he has chosen to maintain a low profile as the arrow head of the Commission.
Although, Mohammed Alkali is not as loud as many people want him to be, the man has already proven that he knows his onions and is only passionate about achieving results. The workaholic Alkali, is a man on a mission and his passionate approach in the administration of the NEDC says it all.
Johnson wrote this piece from Abuja.