The leadership crisis rocking the Border Communities Development Agency, BCDA, has deepened, with about N10bn in approved funds reportedly held back by the Federal Ministry of Finance amid the dispute over who should head the agency.
The standoff has reportedly paralysed activities at the agency and stalled the implementation of projects meant to benefit thousands of border communities across the country.
The Ministry of Finance said it would not release public funds to an agency until all statutory and administrative requirements had been satisfied.
The ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Efe Ovuakporie, stated this while reacting to reports that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, had withheld funds meant for the BCDA.
Ovuakporie explained that the ministry was required to take appropriate steps to ensure that all statutory and administrative conditions were met before releasing public funds.
She added that where questions arose over the leadership or governance of an agency, such issues had to be resolved first to guarantee accountability and proper use of public resources.
The ministry, however, neither confirmed nor denied that the BCDA’s funds had been blocked, and did not disclose the specific requirement the agency had allegedly failed to meet.
But a source familiar with the matter said N10bn already approved for the agency had been stopped because of the leadership dispute.
According to the source, media reports about the crisis prompted the minister to halt the payment after it became clear that there was a problem over who was legally in charge of the agency.
The source added that the controversy had effectively paralysed activities at the BCDA.
NAMdas VS GEORGE
The crisis followed a disputed change of leadership at the agency.
On June 26, President Bola Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the appointment of former House of Representatives spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas, as Director-General of the BCDA.
Namdas was announced as the replacement for Dr Dakorinama George, who was said to have resigned to contest elective office in Rivers State.
But George rejected the claim and refused to leave office.
Despite the Presidency’s announcement, George has continued to conduct official activities as BCDA boss, including a recent meeting with Finance Minister Oyedele where he reportedly appealed for timely budget releases and drew attention to the agency’s N50bn allocation in the 2026 budget.
George has maintained that he never resigned from the position.
He reportedly argued that he only withdrew from the Rivers State APC governorship primary before it was held and that the announcement of his replacement was an error that was subsequently corrected.
The Presidency, however, has rejected his position.
Onanuga has repeatedly maintained that Namdas is the new Director-General and that his appointment remains valid.
Amid the face-off, there have also been allegations that powerful political interests, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, are backing George’s continued stay in office.
BORDER COMMUNITIES BEAR THE BRUNT
Established under the Border Communities Development Agency (Establishment, etc.) Act 2003, as amended in 2006, the BCDA is responsible for developing more than 3,000 border communities across 105 local government areas in 21 states sharing international boundaries.
The agency is expected to provide basic infrastructure and socio-economic amenities, including roads, schools, healthcare facilities and water projects, particularly in communities where residents often depend on neighbouring countries for essential services.
But the prolonged leadership battle has reportedly affected the agency’s ability to execute projects and utilise its budgetary allocation.
This has raised concerns that already underserved border communities could be left without critical infrastructure and development projects.
The controversy has also attracted political attacks.
The African Democratic Congress described the crisis as evidence that Tinubu may have lost control of his administration.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also linked the BCDA dispute to other recent administrative controversies, arguing that such incidents pointed to deeper weaknesses in government coordination, legal vetting and adherence to due process.
Despite the controversy, Presidency sources have maintained that Namdas remains the duly appointed head of the BCDA, insisting that the June 26 appointment stands.
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