… Says It Fuels Insurgency, Criminality
By Femi Bolaji
The North East Governors Forum, NEGF, has identified drugs and narcotic substances as one of the reasons why insurgency persists in the region.
Rising from their fifth meeting in Jalingo, Taraba state capital, the forum noted that despite the gains the region has recorded in general security, the distribution of drugs and narcotics across its states has increased other forms of criminality.
The governors in a communique issued at the end of their meeting called for help to cut the supply chain of drugs and other dangerous substances in the region.
The communique in part reads: “ The Forum notes the general improvement of the Security situation in the region and calls for continuous collaboration of all the security agencies in the country to sustain the gains.
“The Forum also notes the negative impact of drug and narcotic substances in the region and the extent to which it fuels the insurgency and other forms of criminality in the region. It, therefore, calls for support in the area of stopping drug trafficking and enforcing narcotic control within the region and across the borders.”
The Governors also frowned at the modus operandi of the North East Development Commission, NEDC, in the region and advocated more collaboration with their states.
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“ While noting 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.
“ The Forum, therefore, calls on the Commission to consult the various State Governments within the region on priorities for intervention, location of projects and the development of the North East Masterplan.
“It equally calls for expedited action to complete the existing projects in the region.”
On the humanitarian crises in the region, it said “ the Forum calls 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.
“This will ensure sustainability and give people the opportunity to help themselves out of poverty. This will address the socio-economic dimension of insecurity in the region.
“The Forum 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 Forum, therefore, calls on the President to accord the project the desired seriousness by establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to address the encumbrances and bring the project to reality.”
The governors also made some resolutions on education, agricultural development, among other sundry issues in the region.
Vanguard News Nigeria
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