Taraba State Governor, Darius lshaku has urged North- East Governors Forum to be proactive in ensuring the execution of multi-billion dollars Mambilla hydropower project.
He made the call in an address while opening a two day meeting of North-East Governors Forum in Jalingo, Tuesday.
He said if the project is started and completed, it will generate 3050 megawatts of electricity which is more than half of present power output of existing power stations in the country.
Ishaku also expressed the need for the construction of access road to the project site located at Barup in Mambilla Plateau area of Sardauna Local Government Area of the state.
“The economic benefits of the power project cannot be overemphasised, considering its potential to create hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled jobs for Taraba State, the Northeast region, and the entire country,” he said.
Ishaku said as the voice of the North East, the forum must vigorously advocate the commencement of the Mambilla hydro power project.
He also expressed the need for the North-East Governors Forum to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly to press for budgetary provisions to be made in the supplementary appropriation because of zero allocation in the 2021 federal budget for the project.
Ishaku also expressed serious concern over insurgency and other forms of insecurity that affected the North-East zone for a long time.
He however expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his renewed energy in confronting the Boko Haram threat, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and other criminal activities.
Governor Ishaku observed that the threat of Boko Haram will remain intractable as long as the insurgents’ sources of funding, supplies, and recruitment were not cut off.
He commended the Nigerian Military for their sacrifice, heroism and professionalism, not just in the fight against insurgents but also in defending the country’s sovereignty and unity.
Professor Umar Zulum, Chairman of the forum, said the essence of the meeting was to present a common front on the challenges facing individual states with a view to overcoming them.
Governor Zulum also urged the troops fighting the insurgencies to capitalize on the division among the ranks of the insurgents and defeat them totally.
Governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Borno, Gombe were present while Yobe State governor was represented at the meeting by his deputy.
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