The capital of Borno State, Maiduguri, hosted the eighth North-East Governors’ Forum meeting on Saturday, and Vice President Kashim Shettima presided over the opening ceremony.
Shettima urged the North-East leaders and stakeholders to stand strongly together in order to effectively address the various issues plaguing the geopolitical region.
Shettima is in Maiduguri for a two-day business trip to inaugurate initiatives started by Governor Zulum and to launch the Northeast Development Commission’s (NEDC) distribution of painkillers.
In addition, he praised the North-East governors for consciously forging a bond between themselves despite their oppositional political philosophies and exhorted members of the national and state assemblies to uphold the same principles.
Babagana Umara Zulum, the Chairman of the Forum and the Governor of Borno State, called for a partnership that could result in an independent power plant and a railroad network spanning the northeast in his remarks.
“Let me draw your attention to the recent change made to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which resulted in the removal of power generation and railroad transportation from the exclusive legislative list and their inclusion on the concurrent list. In order to provide the sub-region with an independent power supply and rail transportation, it is crucial that we in the North East work together, said Zulum.
Zulum also called for proactive measures to stop illegal mining while maximizing the advantages of those minerals for the overall development of the people in the northeast.
He pleaded with his regional colleagues to give the issues of youth unemployment and poverty in the area top priority.
The governor also applauded the Nigerian military for its efforts to control the security situation in the region’s North-East, which experienced a period of relative calm.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank our brave military for their continued bravery and unwavering commitment to defeating the insurgency. They undoubtedly thought about and took into account a variety of options when battling terrorism, according to Zulum.
Governors Zulum of Borno, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Bala Mohammed of Bucchi, and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe attended the meeting, while the governors of Gombe and Taraba were represented by their deputies.
Umar Usman Kadadur, the deputy governor of Borno, as well as state legislators, senators, and representatives from the northeastern states attended the meeting.
The governors’ meeting’s opening was also attended by traditional leaders, including the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Garbai Elkanemi, and senior government representatives from the six northeastern States.
