Governments in the North East deplore the movement of bandits in the region

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The North East Governors Forum says the mass exodus of bandits from the North West region has undermined the relative peace in the region.

Our correspondent reports that the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno Gombe and Yobe States were present, with the exception of Taraba State, which was represented, at its seventh meeting held in Gombe.

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The group said so on Friday evening in its nine-point statement read by Mai Buni, Governor of Yobe State, and signed by North East Forum Chairman, Professor Babagana Zulum, Governor of Yobe State. 'Borno State.

The Northeast Governors Forum decided that a coordinated roadmap was needed with the support of the federal government to take down the criminals.

According to the Forum, there is a link between mining activities and insecurity, highlighting the need for strict compliance with land use law.

The statement read in part: "The Forum commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies for their efforts in countering the Boko Haram insurgency. It noted the improved security situation in the region which has been largely obtained through kinetic and non-kinetic measurements.

“The Forum noted the relative peace in the sub-region, particularly the reduced incidence of clashes between farmers and herders, as encouraging. However, the region is increasingly vulnerable to insecurity. due to the massive movement of bandits who are gradually being driven out of the North West by the security forces Faced with the influx of bandits, there is an urgent need to launch a coordinated security roadmap in collaboration with the security agencies and the federal government.

“The Forum noted the link between mining activities and insecurity, in particular the abuse of mining leases. It therefore decided to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the law on land use.”

The group also lamented the 5% electricity distribution in the region, adding that the federal government should take swift action to harness the potential of the Mambila power project.

“The Forum again expressed concern over the precarious state of electricity supply in the North East region, which currently receives less than 5% of the national grid energy allocation while that it represents 14% of the population and 30% of the landmass.While noting the direct correlation between energy security and the high level of poverty and the status of our GDP, he called on the federal government to introduce innovative strategies by investing in the production of hydroelectricity and relatively cheaper renewable energies.

“In this regard, the federal government is called upon to accelerate the execution of the Mambila hydroelectric project,” the statement added.

While lamenting the devastating effects of the floods in the region, the Forum commended the federal government for the establishment of a higher education institution specializing in the training of medical personnel, saying that this would solve the current lack of resources human.

The North East Governors Forum said: "The Forum is grateful to the Federal Government for establishing the University of Health Sciences in Azare to address the huge manpower shortage in the health sector and is committed to helping the University fulfill its mandate.

“The Forum expressed grave concern over the devastating effect of the floods which are destroying homes and livelihoods, including road infrastructure. The Forum therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently direct its competent agencies to immediately deploy all necessary interventions to improve the situation in the affected areas. »