Security Tops Agenda As North East Govenors Meet In Borno

… Communique Awaited

A meeting of Governors of the North East region of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States is currently underway in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The meeting, THE WHISTLER learnt, has security issues topping the agenda.

The governors will, in addition to discussing security and development issues, receive presentations from the Northeast Development Commission, NEDC led by its managing director; Lafarge Ashaka; the GMD NNPC; the AIGP Zone 15 Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Army by the theatre commander 7 Division.

The meeting may not be unconnected to the recent attack on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State by suspected Boko Haram terrorists as well as other criminal activities in the region.

A communique is also expected at the end of the meeting, which is said to have gone into a closed door session.

The meeting by forum of northeast governors, is a follow up to the first held March in Gombe, which was hosted by Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.

It was learnt that Governor Zulum started receiving the governors from Friday afternoon to early Saturday in Maiduguri.

Zulum, had in opening remarks, laid emphasis on security challenges facing the region, problems of unemployment, over dependence on federal allocation and how to move the region forward.

It was also gathered that before the ongoing meeting, a technical committee comprising Secretaries of Governments from the six states and focal persons from the NEDC had deliberated for four days to come up with an agenda.

The team chaired by the SSG, Gombe state, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi met governor Zulum to brief him ahead of the current meeting.