NORTH-EAST GOVERNORS URGE FG TO ENGAGE MERCENARIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INSURGENCY
Following the gruesome massacre of about 43 farmers in Borno on Saturday, November 28, Governors in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to engage mercenaries in the fight against insurgents in the region.
This comes barely 48 hours after Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State called on President Buhari to utilize mercenaries in clearing the Sambisa Forest.
Darius Ishaku, Governor of Taraba State, made this call on behalf of his colleagues during a condolence visit to Governor Zulum over the recent massacre of farmers in the State.
Other governors in the visit included Ahmadu Fitiri of Adamawa, Bala Mohammed from Bauchi, and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.
He noted that the North-East Governors are in support of Goverbor Zulum’s recommendations on how to win the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents terrorising the region.
“Our dear brother, we are here to condole with you over the killing of farmers by Boko Haram insurgents; we are indeed saddened and traumatised.
“I will key into your request, which you said that the Federal Government should invite some mercenaries to come and help us out of this problem because what you cannot do, what you cannot solve, I think we should invite who can solve it for us.”
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Apart from engaging mercenaries, Governor Zulum proposed the immediate recruitment of youths into the military to boost its strength which would go a long way to defeat the insurgents.
The Taraba governor also appealed to the Federal Government to find a solution to Boko Haram and look at the infrastructural deficit in the region and give it the needed attention.
Governor Ishaku said; “We cannot continuously be mourning, there has to be a time to stop the mourning.
“All of us in the North East Governors Forum, we are pleading with the Federal Government to find a solution to the issue of Boko Haram.”
Ishaku stated that it is embarrassing that the North East has an allocation of 0.35 per cent in the nation’s budget despite the problems of insurgency and others in the region.
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“This is very unfair; I will once again call on the Federal Government that the issue of Mambila hydropower project should be looked at as matter of urgency.
“Without this power, we will not indeed have any meaningful development,” Governor Ishaku said.
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