Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local Governments Administration, Senator Abdullahi Gumel, has disclosed that his committee was working assiduously to make sure that border communities and development agencies are strengthened to enable them discharge their responsibilities.
He gave this disclosure while speaking with DAILY POST after the budget defence of the agency, pointing that it was created as an intervention agency without controlling votes in the past.
“You know Border Communities Development Agency is an intervention agency and they were not used to having budgets on their own,” he said.
Gumel further said that the plight of people at border communities across the nation was so pathetic and as such requires utmost attention from the federal government, saying that such was the reason that in 2016, the agency would have budget like other agencies of government.
“I come from border communities and I know the enormities of problems border people pass through and I tell you, it is so pathetic that government should give them attention and by doing so, the agency should have budgets they can work with,” Gumel noted.
He was optimistic that the agency which was directly under the supervision of the Vice President will enjoy working relationship with his Committee through synergy that will ensure provision of infrastructures to border communities.
He commended the federal government for their commitment to border communities through budgetary allocations this 2016.
“The agency is directly supervised by the Vice President and my Committee will cooperate with them to make sure that infrastructural development was extended to those communities at the borders.”
“I am hopeful that the budget will receive approval of committee of the whole in view of the most important and critical areas that would be addressed this year at border areas,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), Engr. Numoipre Wills has commended the Committee for their foresight and concerns which he said manifested in this year’s budget and for the first time.
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