Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State says his colleagues in the North East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the current status of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The Bauchi governor made this known while answering questions from newsmen on the outcome of the fifth meeting of the forum hosted by Taraba State Governor, Darious Ishaku and chaired by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State.
Governor Bala Mohammed said the forum at the meeting deliberated extensively on the presentation on the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and noted with dismay, that the project as important as it is, to Nigeria and the North-East sub-region, is surrounded by a lot of contractual encumbrances which have stalled its take-off and realization.
The Vice Chairman of the Forum, Governor Ahmed Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state who read communique issued at the end of the meeting of the forum in Jalingo, said the forum thanked the technical support on potentials for growth and development of the region especially the Agribusiness Programme using innovative financing model of the Adamawa State Government by the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), and agreed that the research be extended to all the States of the region.
He said the forum directed the management of Arewa Research and Development Project to immediately prepare and submit the project proposal to the North East Governors’ Forum Secretariat for onward transmission to the various States for implementation.
The Vice Chairman said the forum appreciated the good work of the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria (REAN) and resolved to support the agency to deliver on its mandate within the region and however called on the agency to intensify working with designated Focal Persons at the individual State level to ensure justifiable spread of projects across the region.
Governor Fintiri said on the activities of the 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 and the speed of work on those projects already in place within the region, is slow and therefore called for expedited action to complete the existing projects in the region.
He added that the Forum called on the diplomatic community, partners and donor agencies supporting the region to activate the process of transiting from humanitarian to stabilization and durable solution within the region to ensure sustainability and give people the opportunity to help themselves out of poverty thereby addressing socio-economic dimension of insecurity in the region.
He said the forum acknowledged the general improvement of the Security situation in the region and called for continuous collaboration of all the security agencies in the country to sustain the gains.
According to the communique, the sixth meeting of the forum will be conducted on the 9th of October, 2021 in Damaturu, Yobe State.
