The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Babatunde Akinteye, popularly known as Babtee, has called for an investigation into allegations that members of the Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) received about ₦943 million in allowances out of the ₦1.1 billion reportedly spent by the Commission since its inauguration.
Akinteye, in a statement issued on Sunday, described the allegations as “unacceptable” and urged relevant oversight and anti-corruption agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to determine their authenticity.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved ₦15 billion for the Commission to address the enormous developmental challenges confronting the North West, stressing that the funds were meant to improve the welfare of the people through critical interventions.
He expressed concern over reports alleging that the Commission’s Board, led by its Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Sama’ila Abdullahi, refused to approve meaningful developmental projects until board members received their allowances.
“If these allegations are true, they represent a betrayal of the trust reposed in the Commission and the people it was established to serve,” Akinteye said.
The NANS President noted that the North West remains one of Nigeria’s most disadvantaged regions, grappling with insecurity, widespread poverty, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and the country’s highest population of out-of-school children.
He maintained that a development commission created to address such pressing challenges should prioritise projects capable of improving the lives of residents rather than expenditure on allowances.
“The people of the North West deserve answers. Every kobo appropriated for the development of the region must be used judiciously, transparently and in the public interest,” he stated.
Akinteye therefore called on the National Assembly and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the claims and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
As of the time of filing this report, the North West Development Commission had not publicly responded to the allegations. The claims also remain unverified, and no official findings have been released by any investigative agency.
