Governors of the six States in Northeast Nigeria on Thursday held their first ever regional meeting in Gombe State over the continuing Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) terrorists’ “prevailing security” and socio-economic challenges faced by the region most ravaged by terrorists’ violence.
The Governors of the six States of Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, therefore asked their States’ Attorneys General to meet with security agencies and work out an approach to enhance regional security within the ambits of the law as a way of proffering possible solutions to the threats of terrorism, kidnapping and other crimes ravaging the area.
The one-day meeting, which started in the afternoon, dragged into the night after which the Governors issued a 14-point communique.
The Governors resolved to be meeting quarterly.
The host and Governor of Gombe State, Mr Inuwa Yahaya, who read the communique at the end of the meeting, said that “after exhaustive deliberations,” the Forum of Northeast Governors “directed all the Attorney Generals of the Northeast States to meet with the security agents and possibility of enhancing security in the sub region within the ambits of the law.”
Agreeing to establish a technical working committee to implement all the actions agreed upon at the meeting, it also agreed to follow a “demand-driven approach that takes into consideration our needs and priorities,” and to support initiatives that will ensure that the agreed Mambilla Hydro Power Projects be fully implemented so as “to improve productivity and Nigeria at large.”
