North East speakers get forum for common course

The House of Assembly speakers from the six states in the North East have formed a forum to discuss issues affecting their people so as to resolve them collectively.

The maiden meeting was held in Maiduguri, where the forum’s chairman and speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareeem Lawan, said the idea of forming the North East Speakers Forum (NESF) was conceived to discuss issues of common interest and concern to the North East geo-political zone, and foster unity and cooperation among its people.

The forum comprises of Speakers from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states Houses of Assembly as members with its secretariat in Maiduguri.

After thorough deliberations that ended on Wednesday, a seven-point communiqué was issued in which the forum noted with satisfaction, the efforts and political will of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, in awarding the contract for the completion of the Mambila Hydro Power Project in Taraba State which would go a long way in boosting power generation and economic activities of the region.

The forum also expressed appreciation to the leadership of the National Assembly for passing the North East Development Commission Bill and commended President Buhari for assenting to the NEDC Bill and subsequent establishment of its headquarters in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.