Mr Muhammed Umar, NEDC Coordinator in Borno, making symbolic presentation of food item to physically challenged persons on Saturday, March 1, 2025 in Maiduguri.
The Borno office of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has in less than three months distributed more 250,000 food and non-food items to households in Maiduguri, prompting questions as to whether distribution of palliatives is part of the mandate of a regional development commission.
The NEDC state Coordinator in Borno, Mr Muhammed Umar, who made this known on Saturday – yesterday, March 1 – during mass distribution of food and non-food items to widows, orphans and physically Challenged Persons in Maiduguri, said the distribution was part of the Commission’s support in Ramadan to the households in the state.
“On behalf of the management team, my colleagues from the Commission, we are directed to handover these food and non-food items to the people living with disabilities, widows, orphans and orphanage homes,” he said.
Umar said that the commission had in the last couple of weeks distributed more than 50,000 bags of rice, 50,000 bags of sugar, 50,000 cartons of spaghetti, 50,000 cartons of macaroni, 50,000 gallons of vegetable oil, in addition to thousands pieces of prayer mats, wrappers and blankets to the people in the state.
“The Commission decided to reach to all the people and groups or organisations but we are starting today with the vulnerable groups like the orphans, widows and persons with disabilities before continuing with other groups like the security formations, Traditional Rulers, Clubs and Associations,” the coordinator said.
He, however, said that for today’s event, the Commission had decided to distribute 7,000 bags of rice, 5,000 cartons of spaghetti, 7,000 gallons of vegetable, 5,000 bags of sugar, 5,000 pieces of prayer mats and 4,000 pieces of wrappers to the widows, orphans and physically challenged persons, among others.
“We are also distributing the same food and non-food items to the people and organisations in other states of the North-East, namely Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe.
“We did the same thing last year but to the selected or sizable beneficiaries.
“While this year we have expanded the programme to include other people and groups such as the legislatures to give to their constituencies and Royal Fathers as well as security agencies and the Borno State Government to enable them reach their people,” he said, according to agency reports.
