July 07, (THEWILL) –Â Having noted the activities of the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria (REAN), the North-East governors have resolved to support the agency to deliver its mandate within the region.
The resolution was reached during the just-concluded meeting of the North-East Governors Forum comprising: Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Borno and Gombe states, hosted by the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, in Taraba.
In a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the forum, Professor Babagana Umaru Zulum, and issued to the Press, it called on the REAN to intensify work with designated focal persons at individual state levels so as to ensure justifiable spread of projects across the region.
While lamenting the negative impact of drugs and narcotic substances and other forms of criminality within the region, the forum called for support in the area of stopping drug trafficking and enforcing narcotic control within the region and across the borders.
Deliberating on the general situation of insecurity, the forum noted that the general improvement of the security situation in the region calls for continuous collaboration of all the security agencies in the country to sustain the gains, while also condoling with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Army, families of the late Chief of Army Staff, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, and other officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The forum also congratulated the new Chief of Army Staff Major General Farouk Yahaya on his appointment while calling on the diplomatic community, partners and donor agencies supporting the region to activate the process of transiting from humanitarian to stabilization within the region as the move will ensure sustainability as well as address the socio-economic dimension of insecurity in the region.
The governors also expressed concerns over the activities of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), stating that consultations between the agency and the various state governments within the region on project priorities and locations were slow, especially the speed of work on those projects already in place within the region.
In that regard, the forum called on the commission to consult the various state governments on priorities for intervention, location of projects and the development of the North-East master-plan as well as expedite action to complete the existing projects in the region.
The forum, while interacting with the commissioners of the Federal Character Commission, appreciated their efforts at ensuring compliance with the Federal Character principle.
The governors however expressed dismay over the shortfall in the number of applicants from the region in the recent recruitment into some Federal agencies, resolving to follow up with all the concerned agencies to ensure that the region gets its fair share in recruitments.
The forum noted with dismay that the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, as important as it is to Nigeria and the North-East sub-region, is surrounded by a lot of contractual encumbrances that have stalled its take-off and realization.
It therefore wants the President to accord the project the desired seriousness by establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to address the encumbrances and bring the project to reality.
THEWILL reports that the next NEGF meeting is scheduled to be held in Damaturu, Yobe State, on Saturday, October 2021.
