The governors of the northeast region of Nigeria have decried the low 45.32 billion budgetary allocations to the zone in the 2021 budget despite the infrastructural deficit of the region.
The governors of the sub-region also expressed dismay over the exclusion of the Mambilla power project in the 2021 budget. Just as they said Boko Haram, banditry is a threat to development
The region has been ravaged by the Bako Haram for over a decade with Borno state experiencing the worst attacks.
“Forum notes with dismay, that despite the challenges of development especially the infrastructural deficit in the Northeast, the 2021 proposed budget makes provision for only 45.32 Billion Naira for Capital projects in the sub-region. This represents a paltry 0.35% of the proposed N13.02 Trillion Naira. This means that the Northeast is highly short-changed. Forum demands the National Assembly to review the 2021 budget in the spirit of equity and inclusion. It equally mandates the Northeast caucus of both the Senate and House of Representatives to take immediate steps to redress this imbalance.
On security, the governors said the region has to witness relative improvement but regretted that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, cattle rustlers, and kidnappers still constitute a serious threat to sustainable development.
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”Forum noted that there is a relative improvement in the security situation in the subregion however the activities of Boko Haram, bandits, cattle rustling, and kidnappers are still constituting a threat to sustainable development.
”While the forum commends the effort of the security agencies, in the subregion it intends to strengthen community policing and action to complement their efforts,” Fintiri noted.
“The Forum notes with dismay, the lack of budgetary provision in respect of the Mambilla Hydro Project in the 2021 Budgetary Proposals and calls on the Federal Government to make the project a matter of serious priority, resolve all encumbrances around the project and order action on site.
In a 13 point communique issued and read by governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who hosted the meeting Thursday at government house Yola, the governors also decry the falling standards of education with a promise to take stringent measures to regularise the anomaly.
The governors agreed to form a council on education to address the deficit in the sector and enhance human development in the region
”Forum critically examine the challenges of education in the subregion and resolve to adopt a regional approach by being deliberate in transforming education especially at the basic level
”Forum has agreed to form the North-east council on education and enforce UBEC laws to protect and ensure all children have an opportunity to acquire basic education,” Fintiri said.
The forum fixed the 14th March 2021 to conduct the next meeting in Bauchi.
