The Youth Alliance for Sustainable Development (YASD), comprising youth organizations from the seven North West states, has appealed to the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection of the board members of the North West Development Commission.
In a statement, the group’s spokesman, Mr. Ahmed Sambo, expressed concerns at the imbalances in the composition of the commission’s board and management.
Sambo observed that, “Jigawa and Kano States were disproportionately favoured in key appointments, undermining the principles of equity and inclusiveness.”
He lamented that a critical examination of the commission’s composition reveals non-adherence to due diligence.
According to him, the Board chairman, Amb. Haruna Ginsau, hails from Kano State, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Abdullahi Ma’aji, Jigawa, Alhaji Yahaya Namahe, member, Sokoto State and Malam Aminu Sulaiman, member, Kebbi.
Others he explained are: Tijjani Kaura, member, Zamfara, Abdulkadir Usman, member, Kaduna State, Muhammad Wudil, member, Kano State, Shamsu Sule, member, Katsina State and Nasidi Ali, member, Jigawa.
The spokesman said that Kano and Jigawa each secured two prominent roles in addition to representation on the board, leaving the other five states with just one slot each.
He argued that such lopsided appointments could undermine the commission’s objectives and compromise its ability to address the shared challenges of the geopolitical zone.
Sambo believed that the commission was established to address critical issues such as reintegration and resettlement of displaced persons, restoration of economic activities disrupted by insurgency, and improvement of infrastructure across the region.
The spokesman said, “Skewed appointments jeopardize these objectives and risk derailing the commission’s mission due to personal or sectional interests.”
Sambo appealed to the federal government to ensure that all states and groups in the North were equitably represented to foster unity and achieve the commission’s developmental goals.
