The Governor of Yobe State and Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Governors’ Forum (LCBCGF), Mai Mala Buni, has pledged his “maximum support” to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as it works to fulfil its security mandate in the Lake Chad Basin region.
Governor Buni pledged after receiving a security briefing at MNJTF Headquarters here, on the sidelines of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum currently being hosted in the Chadian capital.
Speaking after the briefing, Buni praised the multinational force for what he described as tangible progress in securing the region but insisted that further gains were needed before the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s development programmes could reach their full potential.
“For the impact of the Commission’s developmental activities to be fully realised and optimised, more needs to be done to further improve security across the Lake Chad Basin Area,” he said.
The governor placed particular emphasis on the islands scattered across the Lake Chad Basin, calling for a stronger military presence there, especially on the Nigerian side and in neighbouring countries’ territories. He urged the MNJTF to move quickly to deploy troops to these areas.
Buni also revealed that talks were underway with Niger’s political leadership on the possibility of the country rejoining the MNJTF, warning that its continued absence from the force was leaving a security gap that armed groups have exploited.
“The absence of Nigerien Forces provides terrorists a porous area to hibernate, move freely and engage in cross-border criminal activities before launching attacks in other areas,” he said.
The governor went on to thank Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for personally funding Operation LAKE SANITY III on behalf of the Troop Contributing Countries, a commitment he said the president had highlighted during the security briefing. He described the funding as proof of the president’s resolve to strengthen security in the basin as a foundation for development and commerce.
“This demonstrates the determination of the President to see to the improvement of security across the Lake Chad Basin Area to enhance development and commercial activities,” Buni said, adding that he would personally update Tinubu on outstanding security gaps once he returns to Nigeria.
The governor also paid tribute to the founders of both the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the MNJTF for their foresight in establishing the institutions. He reaffirmed his commitment to rallying political support to keep the task force’s operations running.
“I pledge to mobilise the necessary political will to sustain the MNJTF’s operations and help curb the infiltration and activities of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province,” he said.
