Taraba State Governor, Ishaku Darius has declared support for Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s request that the federal reengages mercenaries to join the Nigerian armed forces in ongoing fight against Boko Haram insurgents terrorizing Borno in particular, and some parts of the northeast.
According to a press release by Borno state Governor’s Office, Darius spoke on Tuesday in Maiduguri when Governors of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fitiri, Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Gombe State, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya were on sympathy visit to Borno people.
The visit was in the wake of boko haram’s beheading of over 40 farmers from Zabarmari community who were attacked last Saturday at a village in Mafa local government area of Borno.
“Our dear brother, we are here to condole you over the killing of farmers by Boko Haram insurgents. We are indeed saddened and traumatized. 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 can’t do, what you can’t solve, I think we should invite who can solve it for us. 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 because if we neglect it, it will become even worst, Darius said.
The Taraba State Governor also appealled to the federal government to look into the infrastructural deficit in the northeast region.
“We also call on the Federal government to look at the northeast with sympathy, it is embarrassing in the whole budget, what is given to the northeast is 0.35%. With all these problems we are having, with the insurgency, all the problems, with the insecurity, from the whole federal budget of Nigeria, only 0.35% only allocated for the northeast. This is very very unfair. The federal government should look at the issue of infrastructure in the northeast, i will once again call on the federal government, the issue of Mambila hydropower project, 3,500 megawatts should be looked at as matter of urgency. Without this power we will not indeed have any meaningful development” Darius noted.
Governor Zulum expressed appreciation to the delegation for their visit to condole with government and people of Borno State.
