Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (SAN), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties and representative of Borno Central Senatorial District, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) delivers on its educational promises. In an exclusive interview with Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka following a budget defence session, Senator Lawan outlined his committee’s plan to harness its oversight powers and drive meaningful educational development in the region.
Excerpts.
Due to the way things are going in the geopolitical zone educationally, what is the Committee on the North East Development Commission doing to promote education in the area?
Well one of the line items in the budget is scholarship and education in the North East. Members of the Committee on the North East Development Commission and the Senate Committee on Special Duty took the Managing Director (MD) of the North East Development Commission and his Management Team on the role and importance of education in the geopolitical zone and he specifically mentioned that this is a line item, which is about N12 bullion, or so, was earmarked for education.
And we members of the senate committee, responsible for oversighting them will ensure that it is implemented to the latter.
Did you ask the Managing Director MD of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) how much he received like other development commissions?
When we asked him, he responded categorically that he did neither receive grant, loan or donation from nobody or organization.
Are you satisfied with some of the issues raised at the budget defense?
Thank you very much for this question. Budget defense is a continuous process. If I tell you that I am satisfied, I will be economical with the truth,why because, when we came for budget defence, we started with 2024 performance and appraisal of the previous year, before we proceeded to the coming year. So some of the projects are ongoing projects. But form the general analysis and assessment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), they have done well.
So to answer your question, some of the projects, they have done and we are satisfied, but there should be improvement in other projects.
Specifically, in which areas do you want these improvements?
Well, we need improvements in the road infrastructure and other critical infrastructures in the North East. But some of the items lying in the budget, particularly the humanitarian aspect of it, they have done well.
They have constructed houses to relocate the IDPs back and they have been given livelihood materials. We are very much satisfied with that, but however there is room for improvements in roads, bridges and critical infrastructures in the North East.
