The governors of Nigeria’s North-East region under the auspices of North East Governors’ Forum have called on the military to kill insurgents that fail to surrender in the ongoing mass surrender by terrorists in the region.
The Chairman of the North East Governors’ Forum and Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, made the call on Saturday at the 8th meeting of the Forum in Maiduguri, NAN reports.
Zulum commended the military for the relative peace in the region that facilitated the return of normalcy in many areas, saying there was a need to smoke out the remnants that refused to surrender from their hideouts.
“Let me use this auspicious occasion to commend our brave military in the fight against the insurgency which remains unquestionable while their determination to succeed is very glaring,” Zulum said.
“No doubt, they have considered and acted upon a wide range of options in the fight against terrorism, thereby recording tremendous progress which has clearly indicated that the end to the insurgency in the sub-region is fast approaching.
“I want to call on the Nigerian military to reach into the enclaves of the insurgents who are not ready to lay down their arms. We must pursue them to their hideouts in the remote nook and cranny and neutralize those who refuse to surrender,” he said.
The governor, who decried the negative effect of insurgency that affected the socioeconomic activities in the sub-region, said until the terrorists were subdued, efforts to improve things would be slowed down.
He also spoke on the erratic rainfall recorded this year, and last year’s flood which destroyed food and infrastructure in the sub-region, and called for the Federal Government’s intervention.
He said on their part, the northeast governors had taken measures to repair some of the damage done.
“I urge us to collectively strategise and develop new adaptable farming methods to mitigate the impact of the low rainfall on crop cultivation this farming season,” Zulum said.
“Therefore, there is the need for us to focus more on irrigation farming this time around more than ever before.
“I urge the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to focus on the support for irrigation farming in the sub-region in addition to its key mandate of providing critical infrastructure for the sustainable development of the sub-region,” he said.
Speaking on illegal mining, the governor sought a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals in curbing the activities of such miners.
He also drew the attention of the Forum to the recent amendment to the 1999 Constitution which saw the removal of Power Generation and Railway Transportation from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. He said that the development was important for them to exploit towards the provision of independent power supply and rail transportation in the sub-region.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who graced the meeting, commended the governors for deliberately forging unity amongst themselves to face existing and emerging challenges despite their differences in political ideologies and party differences. He further called for unity between diverse leaders and other stakeholders across the North-East in order to address challenges facing the geo-political zone.
The meeting was attended in person by the governors of Adamawa, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni, and the host state of Borno State, Prof Zulum; while those of Gombe and Taraba were represented by their deputies.
