Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam has requested the refund of at least 30 per cent of N13 billion the State Government expended on fighting Boko Haram insurgency.

Gaidam made the request while in a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.

Background:

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday met three Northern governors in closed-door at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

They included Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa.

The meeting was based on oil and insurgency in the Northern region.

What he said:

• He said the State Government had already requested for a refund from the Federal Government.
• He said the refund would enable the state government carry out some developmental projects including the construction of new hospitals.

He said, “We have not received a kobo in terms of cash. But in terms of materials, food and non-food items, we have been receiving a lot which I cannot tell you precisely in a quantified form.

“But, doing the last administration in Yobe, we took care of the Joint Task Force, a combination of the military, the SSS, the Mobile Police, who were carrying out the war against insurgency.

“We even paid their allowances, all their logistical needs including patrol vehicles.

“We spent huge amount of money in that direction up to about N13 billion during the time of the insurgency.

“We have submitted to the federal government if they could refund even 30 per cent of that amount so that we can use the money on some developmental projects like construction of hospitals.”

Azeez