Provide weapons for Police to fight B/Haram – Northern govs to FG

The Northern Governors Forum has urged the federal government to allow the Police to carry state of the art weapons and be provided with strategic equipment like high-velocity tear gas, trackers and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

The governors said that providing the police with sophisticated weapons will help the manpower deficit in the military to be bridged.

The governors said this in a communique signed by the Forum Chairman and Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum. after a meeting on security challenges in the region.

The governors also made other demands to President Buhari, adding that more efforts to ensure protection of the people and ensure safe access to farmlands.

The governors called on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to ensure that attention was given to recharging the Lake Chad from national water bodies and strengthening the river basins in the sub-region.

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They pledged to work together to foster regional integration, growth and development, especially in exploitation of its oil and gas potentials, mineral resources, agriculture and industrialisation.

The chief executives urged the federal government to revoke road contracts awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works for years without progress and re-award same to more competent contractors with funding to ensure timely execution.

The federal government was also asked to ensure local content in the execution of the Mambila Hydroelectric power project and other programmes of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to ensure synergy with state governments.

In attendance were Governors of Adamawa- Ahmadu Fintiri; Gombe – Inuwa Yahaya; Bauchi – Bala Mohammed; Deputy Governors of Taraba – Haruna Manu; and Yobe, Idi Barde Gubana.

Daily Times had reported that the Northern Governors’ Forum condemned the attack on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.