North-East governors have urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the resumption of oil exploration activities in the frontier wells of Kolmani and Lake Chad as part of efforts to revive the region’s economy and reduce insecurity.
Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues during a visit to the President at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, said the resumption of exploration would complement military operations and accelerate development in the sub-region.
Zulum commended Tinubu for sustaining the fight against insurgency and for his interventions in mitigating the effects of flood, desertification, and other environmental challenges, noting that the region had “suffered so much environmental and developmental setbacks arising from long period of neglect and abandonment.”
The governors, while aligning with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, also called for special attention to unmanned forests, deserts, gorges and rivers that have become hideouts for insurgents.
They expressed support for Tinubu’s initiative to train manpower and deploy technology to reclaim the forests for agricultural development.
On security, the governors requested continued military operations in flashpoints including the shores of Lake Chad, Dajin Madama, Mandara Hills, Sambisa Game Reserve, Mansur, Yelwa, Futuk, Kolmani areas, Karin Lamido Forest and other locations in the North-East.
They also pressed for increased funding to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) for operations in the Tumbus of Lake Chad.
In addition, they listed key infrastructure projects that required urgent federal intervention, among them the Kano–Maiduguri road, Port Harcourt–Jos–Bauchi–Maiduguri railway line, Bama–Mubi–Yola road, Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Damaturu road, Maiduguri–Monguno–Baga road, and several others across the six states.
Concluding, Zulum said the governors hold the President in high esteem and were resolved to partner with him “in his determination to provide good governance for Nigeria with a view to leaving behind lasting legacies and landmarks for the country.”
