Northeast Governors Calls for the Review of 2021 Budget.
By Isiyaka Wunti
The Northeastern Governors have called on the Attorney General of the Federation and the federal government to allow prosecution of terrorism suspects from their respective states without referring to Abuja for trial.
They have also decried on the minimal budgetary allocation for the provision of Infrastructure in the region.
These were part of deliberations and recommendations reached during the third quarterly meeting of the Northeast Governor’s Forum held in Adamawa State.
Presenting the communique after the about nine hours deliberations, the Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri said the forum has noticed with dismay that despite the challenges of development in the region, the twenty twenty one budget made provision of only forty five Billion naira for capital projects in the sub-region.
According to him, the amount represents zero point thirty five percent of the proposed budget of over thirteen billion naira which means the Northeast is highly shortchanged, calling on the national assembly to review the budget in the spirit of equity.
Ahmadu Fintiri said the forum also called on the federal government to accord the desired priority in resolving the all encumbrances around the long awaited Mambila Hydro Power
project.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Northeast Governors Forum and Governor of Borno state Prof. Babagana Zulum said the Governors have taken a collective decision to enforce the UBEC law aimed at ensuring all children across the region have opportunity to acquire basic education.
According to him the forum would engage Arewa Research and Development Project to provide technical support in key areas of Agriculture and Education to facilitate speedy development of the region.
In the attendance are the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe state.
The next meeting of the forum would hold in Bauchi state in third May next year.
