Northern Governors Lament Decay In Region

*Rally support for Buhari

The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has lamented the collapse of vital industries in the region, warning that a grave consequence awaits the zone if the present leaders fail to address the decay. The remark was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting yesterday.

Addressing newsmen after the  meeting, the chairman of the forum and governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said:  “It  has become imperative especially for northern state governors, owing to the near collapse of vital institutions in the region and the multifaceted problems facing the people to brace up for the challenges ahead.

He regretted that the Boko Haram menace, cattle rustling, sporadic killing, kidnapping, herdsmen versus communities, boundary disputes, armed robbery , unemployment, poverty, arms and drugs proliferation, inciting  preaching, almajiri phenomenon, and collapse of industries among others are everywhere in the north.

The Nation report continues:

“After exhaustive deliberations, the northern state governors have resolved to adopt a holistic approach towards solving the problems.  Should the present leaders fail, the consequences would be better be imagined than experienced.”

He added that the forum has “agreed to set up a Committee of Attorney Generals of the northern states to look into the criminal justice system, taking into cognizance the current security challenges so as to proffer strict punishments to crimes such as cattle rustling, kidnapping, terrorism, rape and domestic violence.”

Rallying support for President Muhammadu Buhari, Shettima noted that the nation is passing through challenging times requiring the support of all and sundry for the administration to succeed.

“We commend the Federal Government for the success so far recorded against the insurgents. This is as a result of the remarkable zeal, total commitment and willful determination of President Muhammadu Buhari who priortized the defeat of Boko Haram from the onset,” he said.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to assist victims of the recent bomb blast in IDPs’ camps in Adamawa State with intervention funds to alleviate their sufferings, adding:  “The forum appreciates the initiation of the joint multi-national task force as well as relocating the command and control structure of the security forces to the epic centre of  Borno State. This has turned the tide against the insurgents.”

On the fate of the defunct New Nigerian Newspaper, the New Nigerian Development Company, NNDC, and the Kaduna Textile Limited, KTL, Governor Shettima said the forum would take pro-active steps that would turn the fortunes of the companies around for better as they would receive detailed briefings from the managements in their next meeting.

He however lamented that “the fate of the companies is  the reason why things have turned so bad for the north as lots of youths have lost their jobs while poverty and insecurity thrive in the region.

“The present leaders are determined to tackle the problems headlong. The issues have  to be looked at holistically in terms of infrastructure, power supply, poverty eradication, education, cross-border collaboration and interaction among states.