Plateau State seeks inclusion of self, Kano in North East development fund

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Plateau State, Rufus Bature, has urged the Federal Government to review the North East Development Fund to include Kano and Plateau states.

Bature made the call yesterday at the opening of the technical session of the regional summit on the Hadejia-Jama’are-Komodugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund in Rayfield, Jos.

He said the two states were more hit by crises during the dark days, which had forced the Federal government to include them on the plan, but later removed.

The SSG said that the call became necessary because the two states were still feeling the devastating effects of the past communal crises.

Bature stressed that there were various issues and problems that are beyond the capacity of one state that are involved in the trust fund.

According to him, the two states were contributing significantly to the water resources of the Lake Chad.

He said: “One of such problems is the possibility of a global climate change due to human activities which no single state can dissociate itself from.

“Experts recently brought to focus their concerns about the aspect of human activities, that are primarily related to Water Resources Development and Management in the Basin, which had contributed to increasing water scarcity.”

He added that the consequences inherent are that there could be increased poverty, with the resultant effect of insecurity, especially in the region around the Basin.

The SSG explained that reprisal problem has become a source of concern to governments of the six states, the Federal Government and the international community.