Senate Committee urges FG to develop border communities

chika ebuzor

February 12, 2016 5:44 AM

The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, made this known in Abuja on Thursday while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

The Senate chambers

The Senate Committee on States and Local Governments has urged the Federal Government to develop the country’s border communities as many of the Nigeria’s problems emanate from the areas.

The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Abdullahi Gumel (Jigawa-North West), made this known in Abuja on Thursday while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

Gumel spoke of the need for synergy among the three tiers of government in the development of the border communities.

"We came to have a synergy with the Vice President because he is the chairman of these very important agencies.

"Most of our problems is with these border communities and this happens because of neglect in most of these border areas.

"For instance, if you go to Banki in Borno State, the whole town is divided by a road, while the side of Cameroun has light the other side of Nigeria has no light.

"If you go to where I come from, Maigatari, the people visit Niger Republic to get drugs to resolve their health challenges.

"This thing has to stop; we are in the Change administration and this thing has to change

"The government has to address it with the synergy of the state government and the local government.

"I think if they come together, we will salvage these border communities.’’

On whether the states and local governments had abandoned the communities in the past, Gumel said it was not so but that the lower tiers had done their best but could not solve most of the problems in the border communities.

chika ebuzor