The North Central People’s Forum has raised concerns over the composition of the North Central Development Commission’s board, citing a lack of fairness and equity among its constituent states. According to the forum, the current setup does not reflect the principles of inclusion and balance across all states in the zone. This issue has come to the forefront after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently forwarded a list of 19 nominees for the newly established North Central, South West, and South South Development Commissions to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
At the heart of the matter is the division of the North Central region into two broad blocs: the Upper North Central, comprising Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa states, and the Lower North Central, which includes Niger, Kogi, Kwara states, and the Federal Capital Territory. The forum emphasizes that it is politically crucial for leadership and strategic positions within the Commission to be equitably distributed between these blocs. However, the current situation sees both the Chairman and Managing Director, as well as the Commission’s headquarters, concentrated in the Upper North Central bloc.
This concentration of power in one axis is seen as undermining the delicate ethno-political balance that has maintained harmony in the region. Furthermore, the apparent exclusion of the Federal Capital Territory, with the representative reportedly being from Benue State, adds to the concerns. The forum is urging President Tinubu to intervene and ensure a more equitable representation in the NCDC’s leadership structure. They recommend that the Managing Director position should be allocated to a state within the Lower North Central bloc to achieve balance and equity, given that the Chairmanship is set to rotate alphabetically starting with Benue State.
The forum also suggests that both the Managing Director and Chairmanship positions should not come from the same bloc at any given time. Additionally, they propose increasing the number of Executive Directors to seven, with each state and the FCT nominating one, and ensuring each member state has a Non-Executive Director, except for the state providing the Chairman. This, they believe, will ensure every state and the FCT is meaningfully represented at both executive and non-executive levels.
In acknowledging the Senate’s initiative to amend the Act and expand the Commission’s executive structure, the group hopes their observations will be incorporated into these amendments. The call for correction and balance in the appointment of the NCDC board underscores the importance of fairness and equity in developmental projects, ensuring that all constituent states feel represented and valued in the decision-making process. As the matter moves forward, it will be crucial to address these concerns to maintain harmony and foster inclusive development in the North Central region.
