Governors of the Northeast sub region have raised alarm over increasing vulnerability of the region to insecurity due to the mass movement of the bandits into their states who are gradually being pushed out of the Northwest by the security forces.

They revealed this in a communique issued at the end of their 7th quarterly meeting held in Gombe which was chaired by Chairman of Northeast Governors’ Forum and Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum.

The communique read by Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni noted for an urgent need to launch a coordinated security road map in conjunction with the security agencies and the Federal Government to address the menace.

The Governors appreciated the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari in combating the menace of Boko Haram insurgency and other security threats in the northeast sub region through use of both kinetic and nonkinatic approach.

The Forum, noted the link between mining activities and insecurity especially the abuse of the mining leases and therefore resolved to ensure a strict compliance with the provisions of the Land Use Act.

It expressed concern on the fallen state of power supply in the Northeast lamenting that at present the region received less than five percent national allocation of grit energy while accounting for fourteen percent of the population and thirty percent of land mass.

While noting the direct acceleration between energy, security and high level of poverty and it’s GDP status, the forum called on the FG to introduce innovative strategy for investing in the production of competitive cheeper hydropower and rural energy.

To achieve the laudable objective the forum urged the FG to accelerate the execution of the mambila hydroelectricity project to fostering integration in commerce with a view to attracting foreign investment.

In furtherance to this the forum urged the northeast council of chambers of commerce to revive the commodity market to stimulate economic activities.

According to the communique, “the Forum thanked the Federal Government for establishing the University of Health Sciences, in Azare to address the huge manpower deficit in the health sector and pledged to support the University to deliver on its mandate.

“The Forum, expressed grave concern about the devastating effect of flooding which is destroying homes and livelihood including road infrastructures. The Forum therefore calls on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency direct its relevant agencies to immediately deploy all necessary interventions to ameliorate the situation in the affected areas.”

On the proposed Northeast airline, the forum noted that it is working to resolve few challenges before it largely attributed to Forex among others, assuring that in the next three months the northeast airline shuttle will be established.

The forum expressed concerns over the devastating effect of flooding its region and called on the FG to as a matter of urgency direct it’s relevant agencies to deploy all necessary interventions to imilileorate the situations in the affected areas.

The Governors appreciate the government and people of Gombe State for hosting the meeting and resolved to hold the 8th meeting of the forum in Maiduguri, Borno State on Friday, 25th November, 2022.

After the forum’s meeting, the host Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has treated his counterparts with a dinner in a galanight that held in the Banquet Hall Government House, Gombe where various musical artistes entertained the gathering.

State Governors present at the meeting include; Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and representative of Darius Ishaku of Taraba.

[Sahel]