The North East Political Development and Credible Leadership Forum has urged political leaders from the zone to prioritise the pressing challenges facing the region.
According to the group, the challenges include poor road infrastructure, high numbers of out-of-school children, inadequate hospitals and medical equipment, and a lack of mechanised agriculture.
The organisation also called on the people of the North East to reject vote-buying and elect credible leaders who can address the region’s many issues at all governance levels.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the zonal chairman of the Awareness Forum, Hon. Nasiru Garba Aminu, emphasised the group’s commitment to promoting unity among people of the North East, regardless of religious or ethnic backgrounds.
The forum further urged the federal government to construct an expressway from Abuja that would connect all six states in the North-East, in order to facilitate regional economic integration.
He said, “We also call on the Federal Government to establish an industrial zone in the region, especially in areas that currently lack one.
“This will significantly support the growth of small-scale businesses and create job opportunities for our teeming youth.”
Aminu explained that the organisation was formed in 2023 after identifying a range of developmental challenges plaguing the region. He stated that the group aims to unite stakeholders in finding sustainable solutions to the region’s longstanding problems.
He cited poor coordination among regional stakeholders as one of the major factors contributing to the North East’s marginalisation in national programmes.
He also announced that the forum would soon hold a general meeting in Gombe State to further sensitise the public and discuss practical steps for advancing the region’s development.
The group commended the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for its ongoing efforts toward the socio-economic growth of the region.
