North East Governors at the 6th Forum meeting in Damaturu, Yobe State. Photo: Alkasim Bala
The North East Governors Forum wants the Federal Government to enhance investments in the subregion devastated by insurgency in order to ensure peace and economic success.
The governors made the call in a communique after their 6th meeting in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, and signed by the forum’s chairman and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
According to the communiqué read by Gombe State Governor Yahaya Inuwa, the Forum also discussed on a presentation by the Minister of Power on planned and ongoing power projects in the North East, which highlighted the problems of ensuring constant power supply to the sub-region and lamented the near one-year power outage in Maiduguri and its surrounds.
The Governors also discussed the Mambilla Hydroelectric project and urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to include enough budgetary allocations for the project’s implementation and expressed worry about the non-commissioning of the Dadin Kowa and Kashimbila hydropower projects.
The communique applauded the Federal Government for its many steps at stabilizing the sub-region, as indicated by the huge surrender of Boko Haram fighters.
However, the Forum emphasized the importance of establishing a lasting mechanism for dealing with the “repentant terrorists”.
Earlier, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni stated that the gathering provides an opportunity for them to exchange ideas on creating a firm foundation for their States.
The Governors of Borno, Gombe, and Yobe states were in attendance, while the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, and Taraba states were represented by their Deputies.
Reporting by Alkasim Bala; editing by Abdullahi Lamino