A development expert and senior consultant on development partnerships and donor agencies, Zakaria Tari, has challenged recent claims by former Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo concerning the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, MCRP, describing them as politically motivated assertions that do not reflect the project’s established implementation structure.
Tari, in a statement, argued that Senator Abbo had no direct operational authority over the MCRP or its State Project Implementation Unit, stressing that legislative oversight should not be confused with executive control of a development project.
He said the MCRP was implemented through clearly defined federal and state institutional arrangements, with the World Bank identifying the Federal Ministry of Finance, the North East Development Commission and the governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as implementing agencies.
According to him, claims suggesting that state project officials were personally answerable to an individual senator amount to a misunderstanding of the separation between legislative oversight and executive project administration.
Tari further questioned the weight that should be attached to threats to release alleged “compromising documents,” arguing that the MCRP was subjected to structured monitoring and reporting throughout its implementation.
World Bank records show that the project was designed to improve basic services, infrastructure, livelihoods and social cohesion in conflict-affected communities across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, with clearly delineated roles between federal and state authorities.
The development expert therefore urged political actors to channel any concerns about the project through appropriate audit, oversight and accountability mechanisms rather than political statements.
He maintained that if Senator Abbo possesses documents showing financial or procedural irregularities, the appropriate course would be to make such documents available to the relevant authorities for independent verification.
Tari said this would enable the public to distinguish between verifiable evidence and political claims, particularly as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.