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Zulum to Buhari: North East region has been shortchanged

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has cried out to President Muhammadu Buhari saying the North East region has been shortchanged.

Zulum spoke when a presidential delegation led by Senate President Ahmad Lawan visited him on Monday in Maiduguri over the killing of farmers by Boko Haram.

Governor Zulum used the opportunity of the visit to champion the cause of the North East. He said during the last meeting of the North East governors in Yola, Adamawa State, they felt the region was not treated fairly.

He cited the 2021 budget proposal before the National Assembly as an example.

“We have discovered that only a paltry sum of N45 billion allocated to the entire North East, which constituted on 0.32% of the total budget. Only N45 billion allocated for capital expenditure, Mr President with due respect, the correlation between peace and development need not to be overemphasized. With such a budgetry provision peace in the North East will be a nightmare,” Zulum said.

He added, “God has given you [Ahmad Lawan] the position to become the Senate President, you are from the North East; the Chief Whiph of the National Assembly is from Borno State, the Chairman appropriation committee is also from Borno State. We are demanding for justice fairness and equity.

“Furthermore, Mr President, the Chief of Staff to the President, the status of our roads in the entire North East region is very bad. The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has never been fair to the people of the North East, I can remember in the last 20 years no single road is completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

“If our major roads are rehabilitated and reconstructed, believe me sincerely the insurgency will be reduced by about 65%. This has been one of our major problem.”

Zulum also spoke about the Mambila hydro power project in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. “We also noted a complete absence of budgetry provision with respect to the Mambila power project in the year 2021 budget.

“Another issue is in respect to COVID-19 stimulus, federal government budgeted the sum of over N3 trillion to tame the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Your Excellency till this moment no MDA has contacted any state in the North East.

“We are completely shortchanged, Your Excellency, it is disheartening too that sequel to the end SARS protest, I have observed the reaction by Nigerians including the national assembly members. people are calling for a compensation to those killed across the nation, thousands of people were killed in Borno State, and indeed in the entire North East region, nobody ever attempted to provide any compensation to anyone.

“That is the reason why when the National Economic Council resolved for states to constitute a judicial council I refused to do so and I will not do it. Nobody has ever said judicial commission of enquiry should be set up, either by state government or federal government to investigate the activities of Boko Haram and the excesses of the Nigerian military in the state, sabotage, among others.

“This morning before you came in, i have watched on TVC that the Chief of Naval Staff is inaugurating projects to improve the welfare of the logistics command in Oghara. While we have been pleading to the Chief of Naval Staff for the last two years for them to re-establish their base in Baga, they need a very small amount, but up to now they refused to heed to our request. With this circumstances, people should take note that peace in Borno State entails peace in the North East.

“Believe me sincerely, when Borno falls the entire country will be consumed.”

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