Governors of the North-East geo-political zone have asked the military to sustain its momentum in the fight against insurgency in the region by taking advantage of the current division among the insurgents.
The governors made the call on Tuesday, at the 5th edition of the North-East Governors Forum, which was held at the Government House in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The meeting came 24 hours after southern governors met in Lagos State and reached some decisions on insecurity, PIB, 2023 presidency, among other issues.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the governors called on the Federal Government to extend the exploration of oil to the Chad Basins so as to put the North-East States on the list of oil-rich States in the country.
While noting the activities of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), as an intervention agency in the region, the Forum expressed deep concern that the level of consultation between the Commission and the various State governments within the region on project priorities and locations is low, adding that the speed of work on those projects already in place within the region is also slow.
The Forum, therefore, called on the NEDC to consult the various State governments within the region on priorities for intervention, location of projects and the development of the North-East Master Plan.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Borno State, who doubles as chairman of the Forum, Prof Babagana Zulum and the host Governor, Darius Ishaku, also harped on the need for more infrastructural development in the region, including electricity supply and called for expedited action to complete the existing projects in the region.
Earlier, Governor Ishaku reminded his colleagues that the Forum has become a strong political voice in Nigeria and urged them to always speak with one voice and support member States in solving the problems of the region.
The Forum last held its meeting in Yola, capital of Adamawa State, while its next meeting, according to the communiqu, is to be held again in Damaturu, Yobe State, on Saturday, 9th October, 2021.
