FG plans economic stimulus for N/East

The North-East will soon benefit from a special intervention programme being packaged by the Federal Government to accelerate the zone’s socio-economic development, President Goodluck Jonathan announced in Gombe yesterday.Jonathan, who said this at the opening of the 2nd North-East Economic Summit, explained that the programme would be executed in partnership with governments of the six […]

The North-East will soon benefit from a special intervention programme being packaged by the Federal Government to accelerate the zone’s socio-economic development, President Goodluck Jonathan announced in Gombe yesterday.
Jonathan, who said this at the opening of the 2nd North-East Economic Summit, explained that the programme would be executed in partnership with governments of the six states in the area.
He said the damage suffered by the zone because of the Boko Haram insurgency necessitates “aggressive and urgent action.”
Jonathan said his administration was working towards containing the violence but added that this could only be achieved with the support of the people.
Return of peace and security, the president said, was essential for the success of the measures and actions envisaged in the programme.
He did not give specifics of the intervention package, but said the Federal Government would give support to people in the Northeast towards boosting agricultural productivity, targeted at food production, reducing imports, increasing employment and wealth creation.
“My administration is committed to doing all within its powers and abilities to end the security problems of the Northeast and help the region to productively harness its abundant resources once again for the benefit of its people and all other Nigerians,” Jonathan said.
“There can be no doubt that the unique experience that this region has had with Boko Haram necessitates aggressive and urgent action to revitalise its economy.  Such action entails a functional partnership involving the Federal Government, state and local governments as well as traditional leaders of thought in the region.
“There is a need for the Northeast to join forces with the Federal Government in articulating a unique transformation vision and plan to drive the region’s future.  The plan I envisage must be based on a partnership model in which all of us must play our respective roles.”
He said the administration was at present consulting with the six Northeast states “to define a shared vision, workable strategies and responsibilities of all stakeholders for the economic resurgence of the region.”
He urged governments, traditional rulers, community leaders and the people of the zone to support to the security agencies to ensure the speedy return of normalcy in areas affected by insurgency. He reiterated his stand that poverty was not the root cause of the Boko Haram insurgency.
“While my administration has consistently rejected the notion that poverty and economic backwardness is primarily responsible for turning the Northeast into a hotbed of insurgence and terrorist activity in recent years, we have never denied the need to give the region all possible support to enable it develop at the same pace as other parts of the country, provide improved living conditions for its people and contribute effectively to overall national economic growth,” he said.
The Northeast economic summit is being held to establish a common platform upon which the shared endowments of the six states would be harnessed.
Others speakers at the opening ceremony decried the insecurity situation confronting the region, which they said was a major setback to its socio-economic development.
Among those who spoke are Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Borno deputy governor Umar Zanna, his Yobe counterpart Garba Aliyu, and Taraba acting governor Garba Umar.
Other speakers at the opening session are former Finance Minister Adamu Ciroma, former National Planning Minister Shamsudden Usman and Hajiya Amina Mohammed, a special adviser to the UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon.
The summit is scheduled to end today.