Senate Queries N943m Board Allowances at North West Development Commission, Faults Leadership Gaps

The Senate has questioned the payment of about N943 million as board allowances by the North West Development Commission (NWDC), expressing concern over what lawmakers described as excessive expenditure and the continued delay in appointing executive directors to the commission.

The concerns were raised on Tuesday during an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Regional Development with officials of the NWDC and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.

Lawmakers noted that although the North West Development Commission was among the first regional development commissions established by an Act of the National Assembly, it remains the only one without executive directors, a situation they said has weakened its administrative capacity and slowed its operations.

The committee described the prolonged leadership vacuum as a major obstacle to the commission's ability to deliver on its mandate of addressing insecurity, infrastructure deficits and other development challenges across the North-West.

Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, attributed some of the commission's operational difficulties to the absence of executive directors and a prolonged dispute over its office accommodation in Kano.

According to the minister, the commission initially operated from offices donated by private organisations, but disagreements over which facility should serve as its headquarters created friction between the governing board and management.

He disclosed that the Kano State Government has since resolved the issue by providing a fully furnished office complex, operational vehicles and a parcel of land for the commission.

Ahmadu said the ministry, the governing board and the commission's management formally took over the facility last week and directed that all other offices previously occupied by the commission be shut down to end the controversy.

"The North West Development Commission is the only commission that does not yet have executive directors. Every other regional commission has its full management structure in place. Something urgent must be done for the commission to function effectively," the minister said.

He explained that the governing board, inaugurated in February 2025 to facilitate the commission's take-off, has struggled to function optimally because of the incomplete management structure.

Ahmadu also pointed out that, unlike Kano's earlier dispute, state governments in Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa provided office accommodation for their respective regional development commissions without similar challenges.

Beyond the leadership concerns, senators scrutinised the commission's financial records, questioning delays in convening board meetings and the scale of expenditure on board-related allowances.

One lawmaker queried how the commission could claim it lacked adequate funding while board members continued embarking on official visits to governors and other stakeholders.

Another senator specifically questioned why the Managing Director received duty tour allowances for a visit to the Governor of Kano State despite the commission's headquarters being located in Kano.

The senator also demanded explanations for claims relating to air tickets, local transportation and other travel expenses for what appeared to be a local official engagement.

The committee expressed particular concern after reviewing documents indicating that N943 million out of the N1.19 billion expended under a specific budget subhead was spent on allowances for members of the governing board.

Lawmakers observed that the amount represented nearly 79 per cent of the expenditure under that category, describing the spending pattern as inconsistent with the commission's developmental mandate.

Several senators argued that resources meant to drive development in the North-West should not be disproportionately consumed by administrative expenses.

Responding to the committee's concerns, Chairman of the Governing Board, Abdullahi Lawal, defended the expenditure, insisting that all payments were made within the provisions of the North West Development Commission Act, 2024.

Lawal told lawmakers that the board had convened seven meetings comprising five regular sessions and two emergency meetings, during which it adopted 63 resolutions to establish the commission's operational and institutional framework.

According to him, the board approved standing orders, operational guidelines, committee structures, budget frameworks and principles for allocating funds among the seven North-West states.

He maintained that committee activities and sitting allowances were legitimate governance expenses provided for under the commission's enabling law.

However, Lawal drew a distinction between approving expenditures and authorising payments, stating that responsibility for processing disbursements rests with the commission's management, particularly the Managing Director and finance department.

The board chairman also accused the commission's management of failing to implement several resolutions adopted by the board, citing communication gaps and delays in executing key operational decisions.

Several lawmakers insisted that the Federal Ministry of Regional Development must take responsibility for the prolonged delay in completing the commission's management structure through the appointment of executive directors.

The committee also expressed concern over slow staff recruitment and delays in implementing the commission's capital projects despite approvals reportedly granted several months ago.

Lawmakers stressed that the NWDC was established to address developmental challenges, insecurity and infrastructure deficits across the North-West and should not be distracted by internal administrative disputes and governance lapses.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee resolved to proceed into a closed-door session to consider sensitive matters and receive further clarifications from officials of the ministry and the commission.