- Vice President Shettima urged the NEDC to expand its efforts to include more road projects in the North-East, mentioning specific roads like Gombe-Bauchi, Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu, and Gujiba-Biu
- He praised the NEDC for responsible resource management and thanked political leaders, legislators, and governors in the region for their support and unity
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, expressed his concern in Maiduguri on Saturday about the extensive destruction caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, amounting to $9 billion.
He specifically mentioned that Borno alone had suffered damages valued at $6.8 billion.
“Boko Haram insurgency had inflicted damages in the North-East, to the tune of $9 billion,” he said. ” There are similar destructions across Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba. If the North-East of Nigeria was to be treated as a nation, we are poorer than Chad, Afghanistan, Niger.”
During the distribution of relief items in the North-East, Vice President Shettima highlighted the significant damages caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.
This statement was made while he inaugurated the construction of the 22.5km Jere Bowl road network project, which includes Jere and Mafa LGAs in Borno.
The NorthEast Development Commission (NEDC) is responsible for this project. The Vice President also urged the NEDC to broaden their efforts by including additional road projects, regardless of their current status. This event coincided with the eighth meeting of the North-East Governors’ Forum.
”I want to urge the NEDC board to expand the scope of its intervention to cover more road projects across the North-East 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 people of the northeast, ” he said.
Vice President Shettima praised the NEDC board for their responsible management of resources and acknowledged the support of political leaders and legislators in the region. He also commended the governors for their unity despite their differences. In regards to the distribution of relief items worth N15 billion, Mr Shettima assured the commitment of the federal government to the welfare of the people.
The items to be distributed include mats, clothing materials, blankets, rice, and vegetable oil. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno urged the NEDC to be more determined in fulfilling their responsibilities, and the governors pledged to collectively address the issue of illegal mining to improve the region’s prosperity.
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