Courtesy Visit By Borno State Governor
The Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Head of Mission of the Multinational Joint Force (MNJTF), His Excellency Ambassador MAMMAN NUHU received this Monday of January 20, 2020, the Honorable Governor of Borno State (North East Nigeria), BABAGANA UMARA ZULUM, at the head of a large delegation.
During the audience which took place in the presence of the close collaborators of the Executive Secretary, the Honorable Governor underscored that the purpose of his visit is “to express his profound gratitude and that of the populations of Bornu State for the remarkable work that the LCBC is doing to secure, stabilize and implement beneficial development actions throughout the area affected by the Boko Haram crisis.”
This visit by the Governor of Borno to Chad, which is part of the strengthening of the ties of cooperation and trade between LCBC’s member States affected by Boko Haram crisis – in line with the spirit of the Lake Chad Basin Forum of Governors – aims to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive and sustainable solutions to this crisis, notably those contained in the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience of the areas of the Lake Chad Basin affected by Boko Haram activities.
“Just as one cannot dissociate security from development, so it is important, while continuing the fight against Boko Haram’s remnants, especially around Lake Chad, to put more emphasis on development, the improvement of the living conditions of the populations, cross-border trade, and regional integration,’ said the Honorable Governor Babagana.
The Honorable Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, who is committed more than ever since his election as governor of Borno State in March 2019 to resolving this crisis and ensuring the socioeconomic development of this region, has spared neither his time nor his efforts to visit the riparian States and communities affected by this crisis, calling for a sustainable resolution of this crisis. Which, he is convinced, involves the implementation of the Regional Stabilization Strategy, in particular the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF). The Facility is a rapid response mechanism intended to help local authorities in the eight affected regions of the four riparian countries (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria) to undermine the capability of nuisance of Boko Haram insurgents, by restoring and expanding effective civilian surveillance, improving the provision of basic services and strengthening livelihoods. The Honorable Governor is also convinced that a sustainable solution also includes the revitalization of the Lake Chad, in particular the Inter-Basin Water Transfer Project (IBWTP), calling therefore for more commitment, cooperation and regional integration …
In response to these legitimate concerns, the Executive Secretary made particular mention of the progress made so far by the LCBC in terms of security, climate and in the implementation of the Regional Stabilization Strategy…
