North East Governors Forum during a meeting held in Bauchi State.
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri-
The North-East States Governors Forum has resolved to fund Mambila Hydroelectric Power Projects as part of its deliberate efforts to create over sixty thousand jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the region.
In a communique read by the Adamawa state Governor, Alhaji Adamu Fintiri, noted with dismay, that the project as important as it is to Nigeria and the North-East sub-region, is only existing on paper .
The Forum who appreciated the reinforced efforts in the fight against insurgency and other forms of criminalities in the sub-region, however, called on the Federal Government to accord the project the desired seriousness because of its anticipated impact in turning around the fortunes of the sub-region and the country at large.
The Forum stressed the need to be aggressive in repositioning education in the sub-region and resolved to form the North East Council on Education, which saddled with the mandate to improve quality and performance of students, set up peer review, and collate data to drive decision making on education including performance, admissions, regulatory framework, human resource management and digitalization among others.
The Forum, which acknowledged the works of the Great Green Wall in the sub-region, further called on the agency to develop a framework for regional/state’s partnership which would engender robust collaboration with the sub-nationals and produce maximum impact.
The Forum however reiterated its support for the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and urged the commission to fast track the process of development of a Master plan for its activities within the Sub-region.
It also enjoined the Commission to work closely with the State Governments on areas of intervention which would aid priority identification, close the needs gap and support project implementation.
The Forum Chairman, Governor Babagana Zulum maintained that, considering the prospect for oil exploration in the region, they resolved to have specialized institutions to provide the required local contents in the Oil and Gas industry.
He commended the Bauchi and Gombe State Governments for establishing the Oil and Gas Academy for Human Capital Development.
