By SALISU SANI-IDRIS

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday restated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to develop and stabilise the North East region.

Shettima stated this when he receive a delegation of North East Leaders of Thought (NELT) on a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation was led by retired Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Haruna, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and Culture.

The delegation presented the North East Development Strategy and Plan document to the vice president.

Shettima said that Tinubu means well for Nigeria, saying “the President means well for the nation. I have seen the soul of Bola Tinubu; I will not stop saying that.”

Shettima, who observed that the delegation was made up of the crème de la crème of the North East geopolitical zone and reflects the diversity of the region, said at their age, they were only fighting for their children and grand children and not for any pecuniary interest.”

He assured the group that the North East Development Strategy and Plan document would be presented to the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) within 48 hours.

Recalling the visit by the board and management of NEDC who had presented a 10-year master plan for the region’s development to him on Wednesday, Shettima stressed the need for transparent leadership.

“About 80 per cent of the anticipated NEDC budgeted fund is coming from multilateral agencies, and if you put in place a leadership that is inept and corrupt, you cannot get a dime from these agencies.

“I tasked the NEDC management to ensure that they make tangible investments in three key areas: electric vehicle technology, agriculture, including irrigation technology, and digital education.

“We are all united by poverty, insecurity and destitution. Our problem is not ethnicity or religion. Religion has become a body of rituals devoid of practical value. We must unite to fight these common enemies.”

Earlier, Haruna explained that the organ was a non-partisan and non-religious body bound by common zeal for the north east.

“The document provides a roadmap for the development of the North East and covers areas such as security, agriculture, manufacturing, business and trade, solid minerals, and health, among others.

“We have captured key deliveries for each sector. This document will provide an insight into addressing some of the issues facing the region.”

Members of the delegation included Dr. Abari Garba; Sen. Umar Dukku; Sen. Abubakar Girei; Sen. Adamu Bulkachuwa; former governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State; Arc. Ibrahim Bunu; Bala Ngilari, former governor of Adamawa State, and others. (NAN)

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