By Sidi A. Umar
Sokoto
Sokoto state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his counterpart of Tahpua in Niger Republic, Malam Abdurrahman Musa, yesterday held a meeting on security and economic ties between the two neighbouring states.
Speaking during the meeting, Tambuwal said the meeting was a follow-up to the bilateral discussion held when President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura last September.
“This meeting seeks to enhance cooperation between our people and our government. It will discuss critical areas like security, trade, agriculture, forestry development, cultural integration, animal breeding, education and movement of persons in furtherance of the charter of ECOWAS and the African Union (AU).
“We will also discuss effective use of water from various rivers connecting neighbouring communities in the two countries. Of particular interest to us is the dam recently constructed in a community in Tahoua, which has dried up water in Kalmalo dam of Illela LGA of Sokoto state.
“I am confident that the longstanding cooperation between the people of Sokoto and the people of Tahoua will be enhanced at the end of our deliberations,” Tambuwal expressed.
Earlier in his remarks, governor Musa extolled the level of cooperation between the two nations, saying the cultural and historical ties that bound the people were still strong.
He said even though there was relative security in the areas bothering Sokoto and Tahoua, they were not oblivious of the precarious situation in Nigeria’s North east and Diffa region of Niger Republic.
“The Boko Haram menace and other security challenges may be a bit far from us, but we must be proactive to prevent its spilling to this side of our countries,” he stated in Hausa language.
