THE Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) is effectively paralysed by a bitter leadership crisis, with the Federal Ministry of Finance reportedly declining to release N10 billion approved allocation until questions over who legitimately heads the agency are resolved.
News Point Nigeria reports that the ministry has stressed that the release of public funds to any government agency is subject to compliance with statutory and administrative requirements, as the dispute over the leadership of the BCDA continues to stall its activities.
The Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, stated this while speaking with this newspaper on Friday.
Responding to reports that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, had withheld the agency’s funds, Ovuakporie said the ministry could not comment on the internal administrative process of the BCDA.
“The Ministry of Finance cannot and will not comment on the internal administrative process of the BCDA.
“On the issue of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy reportedly withholding funds, you should understand that as a matter of due process, the ministry takes appropriate steps to ensure that all statutory and administrative requirements are satisfied before the release of public funds.
“Where there are issues requiring clarification regarding the leadership or governance of any agency, it is only prudent that such matters are resolved to ensure accountability and the proper application of public resources.”
Ovuakporie neither confirmed nor denied that funds had been blocked, nor did she identify any specific requirement the BCDA had failed to meet.
The ministry’s position, however, makes clear that money will not be released while the leadership question remains unresolved.
The standoff in the agency stems from a disputed succession that has pitted the Presidency’s appointment against the position of the agency’s outgoing Director-General, Dr Dakorinama George.
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.
The statement said Namdas replaced George, who resigned to contest elective office in Rivers State.
George, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Works under Nyesom Wike and widely regarded as an ally of the FCT Minister, however, refused to vacate the office.
Instead, he has continued to hold official meetings, including a recent engagement with Finance Minister Oyedele, during which he appealed for timely budget releases and highlighted the agency’s N50 billion allocation in the 2026 budget.
A source said N10 billion had been approved for release, but the payment was stopped because of the leadership situation.
“The media reports on the matter made the minister stop the payment because evidently, there is a problem. Activities at the BCDA are now paralysed,” the source added.
George has insisted that he never resigned, claiming that he withdrew from the Rivers APC governorship primary before it held and that any announcement of his replacement was “an error” that was “quickly corrected.”
The Presidency has firmly rejected this position, with Onanuga stating that Namdas is the new head of the agency.
Sources have also alleged that powerful interests, including the FCT Minister, are backing George’s continued stay at the agency.
Established by the Border Communities Development Agency (Establishment, etc.) Act 2003, as amended in 2006, the BCDA is charged with developing more than 3,000 border communities spread across 105 local government areas in 21 states that share international boundaries.
Its core responsibilities include providing basic infrastructure and socio-economic amenities such as roads, schools, healthcare facilities, water supply and other interventions, so that residents are not forced to rely on neighbouring countries for essential services.
The prolonged uncertainty has, however, stalled the agency’s ability to execute projects and utilise its budgetary allocation, leaving already underserved border communities without the interventions the agency was created to deliver.
The dispute has also attracted political attention, with opposition parties seizing on the saga as evidence of deeper governance failures within the administration.
The African Democratic Congress described the crisis as a sign that President Tinubu may have “lost control” of his administration.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also linked the BCDA controversy to other recent administrative lapses, arguing that repeated incidents point to systemic weaknesses in coordination, legal vetting and adherence to due process.
Despite the controversy, Presidency sources maintain that Namdas is the duly appointed head of the agency and that the earlier announcement remains valid.