The Northern Governors Forum under the leadership of Simon Lalong has urged governors and stakeholders in the region to provide solutions to the myriads of problems confronting the North.
Lalong, who is also the Governor of Plateau made the appeal in Kaduna at the forum’s meeting.
“Our region continues to carry perhaps the heaviest burden of development in the Country where the indices for quality of life are low within a large percentage of our population.”
He said satistics have shown that the region has a long way to go in terms of education, healthcare delivery, infrastructural development, food security, industrialisation and human capital development amongst others.
“All these are exacerbated by the insecurity that has bedeviled us and the entire Nation for many years now,” he stressed.
The Chairman explained that, the forum would receive and review 12 reports bordering on repositioning the region to address its challenges.
“These Committees have done substantial work on the assignments given to them and will thus give us a lot to work with in resolving some of the challenges confronting our region.”
“Besides, their recommendations will also help us project a common position on national issues in such a way as to strengthen national unity and galvanise support towards a wholistic approach that will guarantee results.”
Lalong however said that, though some of the issues were not peculiar to the North, but the way they are handled would, to a large extent shape how they are resolved at the National level.
“For instance, the issue of insecurity has become a clog in the wheel of progress such that farming which is a major preoccupation of our people is being hampered with”.
“The result is that, the economy of the nation is gradually being affected and food security also jeopardised.”
“That is why we have remained resolute is supporting and advising the Federal government, collaborating with relevant security agencies and also using opportunities at our disposal to work for a more secured nation,” he stated.
Open mind
The Chairman noted that the abduction of school children and passengers in Niger was a reminder of the difficult situation being faced and the need for efforts to be redoubled in overcoming them.
On the issue of herder-farmer clashes and the harsh rhetoric from various parts of the Country, Lalong said that the North remained firm in the matter and must be carefully addressed with an open mind and without sentiments.
“While we agree that open grazing is no longer sustainable for obvious reasons, the Forum has also keyed into the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) as a veritable option that will go a long way in ending these clashes through organised ranching.
“We therefore continue to appeal to our colleagues in other parts of the country and indeed all Nigerians particularly opinion leaders to be cautious in their utterances and actions so as not to provide the oxygen for the exploitation of our fault lines to the detriment of our Nation”.
“At all times, we must identify, isolate and punish crime no matter who commits it rather than resort to labeling and generalization that shields the criminals and generates tension for the innocent.”
On the region’s economy, Lalong urged the participants to provide concrete steps to take on how best to create opportunities for the teeming youth population in the North.
“We must ensure that we productively engage our people by reviving our moribund industries that once employed thousands, as well as see to it that agriculture is driven by value chain addition.
“We have the manpower and potentials to not only end poverty and hunger, but also drive the economic diversification of the nation in line with the policy direction of the Federal government.”
He challenged the governors and other stakeholders at the meeting to enunciate new measures to radically change the quality, quantity and disposition towards education in the region.
“The days of paper-qualifications are over as we need to give skills to our graduates to enable them practically apply their skills for national development.
The Chairman also spoke on the Almajiri system, and expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved and efforts made to integrate the system into the regular education system would be consolidated.
He urged the participants to be open, frank and honest in their submissions.
Lateefah Ibrahim
