Vice President Kashim Shettima expressed deep concern on Saturday in Maiduguri, revealing that the enduring Boko Haram insurgency has inflicted staggering damages of $9 billion in the North-East region.
The Director of Information at the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Olusola Abiola, conveyed Shettima’s remarks as he inaugurated the distribution of palliatives in the North-East.
He also marked the official commencement of the 22.5km Jere Bowl road network project, covering Jere and Mafa Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno.
This critical infrastructure initiative is being undertaken by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).
The event coincided with the 8th meeting of the North-East Governors’ Forum.
Vice President Shettima emphasized that Borno State alone has suffered damages amounting to $6.8 billion due to the insurgency.
He stated, “Boko Haram insurgency had inflicted damages in the northeast, to the tune of $9 billion.
There are similar destructions across Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba. If the Northeast of Nigeria were to be treated as a nation, we are poorer than Chad, Afghanistan, Niger.”
Shettima called upon the NEDC to extend its interventions in the region to encompass more road projects, regardless of their status.
He urged, “I want to urge the NEDC board to expand the scope of its intervention to cover more road projects across the northeast region, including Gombe-Bauchi, Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu, and Gujiba-Biu roads, among many others.
Though these roads are regarded as Trunk A roads, they will eventually be used by Nigerians, particularly the pe
Shettima commended the NEDC board for their prudent management of resources and applauded the support of political leaders, including legislators from the Northeast, for standing resolutely with the commission.
The Vice President also praised the collective efforts of governors in the region for uniting the people, despite socio-political differences.
He said, “The northeast is a kaleidoscope of colors, made up of different people from different socio-political backgrounds.
But I want to commend our governors for coalescing these units into a single force, irrespective of the differences in political and other backgrounds.”
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno urged the NEDC to demonstrate greater determination in fulfilling its responsibilities and to focus on supporting agriculture, particularly irrigation farming.
He also emphasized that regional Governors would collectively address the activities of illegal miners and work actively with the Federal Government to exploit mineral resources for the benefit of the region’s populace.
Shettima lauded security agencies for their progress in combating insurgency and urged them to intensify efforts to eliminate the remnants of fighters hiding in enclaves within the region.
Furthermore, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director of NEDC, highlighted that the first phase of the Jere Bowl road network’s construction is among several infrastructure projects the commission is undertaking in the region. He expressed the commission’s excitement about fully implementing the North-East Master Plan.
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