Buhari bypasses the Senate and orders the North-East Commission's MD and board to resume work.

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the new board of the North East Development Commision (NEDC) be reconvened without the approval of the Senate.

Umar Abubakar Hashidu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, and other board members were directed to resume work immediately.

Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesperson, stated that the order is in response to the former Board's tenure expiring on May 7, 2023.

A statement on Friday said the President expects the immediate completion of handover formalities in the organisation in the coming days.

Shehu said the federal government doesn’t want a vacuum in the day-to-day running of the “strategic commission”, pending the confirmation by the Senate.

Barrister Bukar Baale is the Chairman; Suwaiba Idris Baba, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs (Taraba); Musa Umar Yashi, Executive Director, Administration and Finance (Bauchi).

Others are Dr Ismaila Nuhu Maksha, Executive Director, Operations (Adamawa), and Umar Abubakar Hashidu, MD/CEO (Gombe).

Members representing regions are Air Commodore Babatunde Akanbi (rtd) (South West), Mustapha Ahmed Ibrahim (North West), Hadiza Maina (North Central) Onyeka Gospel-Tony (South East) and Mrs Hailmary Ogolo Aipoh (South-South).

Director of Humanitarian Affairs Department, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Grema Ali and a representative from the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning are also on the board.