North Central People’s Forum Seeks Balance in NCDC Leadership Structure
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North Central People’s Forum Seeks Balance in NCDC Leadership Structure
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The North Central People’s Forum (NCPF) has expressed deep concern over the composition of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Board and Executive Management, citing lack of inclusion, balance, and fairness across all states in the zone.
In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Khaleel Bolaji, mni and obtained by INCNews247 early Saturday morning, the Forum urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure equitable representation in the leadership structure of the NCDC.
The NCPF recommended that the Managing Director position be allocated to a state within the Lower North Central bloc, comprising Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), given that the Chairmanship is currently held by a state from the Upper North Central bloc.
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The Forum also suggested increasing the number of Executive Directors to seven, with each state and the FCT nominating one Executive Director.
The group emphasized the need for equitable representation to maintain harmony in the North Central region.
“It is politically imperative that leadership and strategic positions within the Commission be equitably distributed between these blocs,” the statement read.
The Forum noted that the current concentration of leadership and institutional power in one axis undermines the delicate ethno-political balance that has sustained harmony in the region.
The NCPF also expressed concern over the apparent exclusion of the FCT, noting that the individual purportedly representing the FCT is reportedly from Benue State.
“This concentration of leadership and institutional power in one axis obviously undermines the delicate ethno-political balance that has sustained harmony in the North Central region,” the statement added.
The NCPF commended the Senate for initiating legislative amendments to the Act establishing the NCDC and urged that their observations be adequately captured in the amendments.
The Forum also urged the Legislature to fast-track the amendments to strengthen regional confidence and inclusion.
