The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated N2 billion as restart capital to traders of the re-opened Maiduguri Central Market, popularly known as “Monday Market,” which was gutted by fire in February.

The managing director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, announced the donation on Monday in Maiduguri during a courtesy call on Governor Babagana Zulum by the newly constituted board of the commission.

Mr Alkali lauded Mr Zulum for rehabilitating the completely burnt market within the shortest possible time, adding that NEDC, on its part, had provided N2 billion in support to the traders who lost their goods to the unfortunate incident.

Responding, Mr Zulum lauded the support from NEDC, assuring that it would reach the target beneficiaries.

“I promised you that one naira would not be diverted.

“We already have a high-powered committee on reconstruction of the market, with security personnel as members.

“We will now include EFCC and ICPC personnel in the committee,” he said.

The governor, who lauded the commission for its numerous interventions in the state, urged it to concentrate on projects like roads, education, renewable energy, and agriculture in the zone.

While imploring the commission to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, Mr Zulum also called for support for his administration’s reconstruction, rehabilitation, and resettlement (RRR) programme.

The newly reconstituted NEDC board, led by the chairman, Retired Maj.-Gen. Paul Tarfa, also visited police stations and military barrack projects executed by the commission in Bama and Konduga Local Government Areas.

The board members also visited Alau Dam, which supplies water to Maiduguri town, where the chairman spoke about the commission’s commitment to repairing part of the dam damaged by flooding in 2022.

(NAN)