The North-East Governors’ Forum on Saturday lamented the Federal Government’s absence in the region.
It also lamented that the region has been neglected.
A communique issued by the governors during the Forum’s 10th
meeting held in Bauchi State, signed by the NEGF Chairman, Prof Babagana Zulum,
urged the Federal Government to prioritise the region to enhance its
development.
According to the communique, “Forum reiterates its concern
over the seeming neglect of the North-East in the allocation of Federal
Government capital projects.”
The Forum noted with dismay that despite its cry for
attention on the state of infrastructure in the region which has been
consistently echoed in all its communiques over the years, especially the poor
road and railway infrastructure along the economic corridors that link the
North-East subregion to the rest of the country, nothing serious seems to be
happening.
The Forum also noted that the roads from Enugu to Maiduguri
are in a deplorable state and the railway line from Enugu up to Maiduguri has
been destroyed, noting that it is a major route for regional trade and is very
important for integration, peace-building and national unity.
It added that the region is also not included in the
National Infrastructure Plan for the transition from PMS to Compressed Natural
Gas, CNG.
The Forum called on the Federal Government to look into the
situation and consider the reconstruction of basic infrastructure along the
Enugu-Maiduguri Economic Corridor and inclusion of the North-East in all
National Development Plans and initiatives.
While decrying the blackout across the region, the NEGF
lambasted the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, on its poor handling of
repairs, adding that it would wait till the agreed May 27 date to see full
restoration of power.
The Forum observed with dismay the blackout experienced by
the region over the last one month and the nonchalant attitude exhibited by the
TCN in addressing the issue.
In the same vein, the Forum said it is watching keenly the
commitment made by TCN to restore power to all the states of the region by the
27th of May 2024 and urged the Federal Government to direct TCN to take
immediate action.
The Forum added that it had resolved in the short term, to
set up a solar power plant that can generate a minimum of 10 megawatts per
state.
The governors expressed dismay over a single transmission
line to a region with over 35 million population, expressing deep concern that
the Northeast is the only region in Nigeria that has one transmission line
supplying six states with a land mass of nearly 300,000 square kilometres and a
population of over 35 million.
It said it has made the region the most vulnerable and most
disadvantaged for industrial development and economic growth with over 70 per
cent of its population below 35 years of age and therefore called on the
Federal Government, as a matter of urgency, to implement the extension of the
330KV transmission line from Makurdi–Gassol –Jalingo linking to Adamawa–Gombe
-Bauchi and the extension of the 330KV line from Kano-Bauchi-Yobe, linking to
Borno.
It urged the Federal Government to maximise the use of the
existing hydroelectric dams to boost power supply.
The Forum also resolved to maximise the existing hydropower
generated in Kashimbilla and Dadin Kowa dams, which the region has not been
benefitting from because the Ministry of Power has failed to extend the 330KV
line of Makurdi-Gassol-Jalingo line.
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Election is coming start mobilizing your people and sansitization in the region, on election Day show them your dissatisfaction on ballot paper. Nothing more than that.
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