Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission, NCDC, has endorsed the 140 billion naira 2025 budgetary provision for the commission and urged its management to ensure judicious utilization of the funds.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Titus Zam, in his opening remarks, congratulated the management of the commission and charged them to make prudent use of the appropriation when finally approved by the Senate, particularly the 100 billion naira earmarked for capital expenditure.
Presenting the 140 billion naira budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year, the Managing Director of the commission, Dr. Tsenyil Yilten, outlined plans to incorporate alternative energy sources to address persistent power outages in the region.
He explained that out of the 140 billion naira envelope allocated by the federal government, 100 billion is for capital expenditure across the six states of the zone and the Federal Capital Territory, while the remaining 40 billion is for recurrent expenditure covering overhead and personnel costs.
Mr. Tsenyil Yilten explained that the 100 billion naira capital component is not tied to a single project but spread across numerous projects in the six states of the zone.
He added that the commission has identified eight priority areas for infrastructure development, which include security, agriculture, mining, environmental management, education, health, and road construction.
He assured the committee that under his leadership, the commission would ensure equitable distribution and execution of projects across the states in the zone and the Federal Capital Territory.
He further explained that the bulk of the 40 billion naira earmarked for recurrent expenditure will be used to pay the salaries of 200 proposed staff members, to be recruited after approval by the Office of the Head of Service.
Meanwhile, the Senate committee has Urged the Governors of North Central States to emulate what Nasarawa state Government did by Providing an office block for smooth operation of the Commission .
The committee members expressed satisfaction with the gesture of Nasarawa state Government , saying this will help immensely for the smooth operation of the commission and in turn help the people of North Central to reap the dividend of democracy accordingly.
In his contribution, the minority leader Senator Abba Moro assured that this time the business would not be as usual , saying the idea of creating these commissions is to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians due to incessant security challenges affecting the areas
He advised that members of the commission should endeavour to do what is required for the good of the people of the zone, adding that they will keep on eye on how the commission’s use the resources for the benefit of People in the zone
The managing Director Tsenyil Yilten reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to build a strong partnerships with all stakeholders to drive sustainable and effective regional development.
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