Northern Governors Forum on a mission to Salvage the North … Holds Emergency Meeting

Northern Governors Forum on a mission to Salvage the North

… Holds Emergency Meeting

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, North-West, Nigeria

Northern Governors Forum today, 12, September 2019, met in Kaduna for an emergency meeting on matters of national importance.

The meeting which was held at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna highlighted on key areas of concern  termed as critical to salvaging the north.

The Chairman, Northern Governors Forum Governor of Plateau State, Sermon Lallong had in his welcome address expressed the Forum’s determination towards finding lasting solutions to problems bedevilling the north as it owes it a responsibility to the electorates . Thus, the need for the emergency meeting.

“My dear colleagues, it is with gratitude to Almighty God that I welcome you to this emergency meeting of our all-important Forum holding here at the Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.

Your Excellencies, this emergency meeting has been summoned to enable us address some matters of urgent importance in the survival of our region and the well-being of our people.

“You will recall that during our last meeting, we deliberated extensively on many issues, particularly the nature of the insecurity currently bedeviling our region and how to deal with the situation.

“We consequently set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, to inter-alia develop a comprehensive regional plan of action that could bring lasting solutions to the lingering crises.

“At this meeting, we shall receive briefing from this committee and also deliberate on their findings and recommendations.

“Another major issue we shall also deliberate on is the issue of livestock management in the country and in particular our region, which has continued to generate discourse, controversy, mis-information and even politicization.

“You are aware of the many attempts to find lasting solutions to the incessant Farmer-Harder clashes, cattle rustling and associated criminalities such as banditry, kidnapping among others.

He continued,

At this meeting, we shall deliberate on the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), which was commissioned by the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and seeks to support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in the livestock ecosystem for improved productivity through breed improvement, pasture production, efficient land and water utilization.

As a region that holds the comparative advantage in livestock management as an economic and socio-cultural vocation, we need to come up with a common front on how to synergize and draw from the funds available for the programme and ensure that we derive maximum benefits for our people.

Hopefully, we shall develop strategies on how best to deal with the misinformation about the NLTF, which is sometimes confused with the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) project.

This is important because of the urgent need to cultivate the buy-in of all stakeholders and provide a conducive environment for nomadic herders and those who rear livestock using the private/public partnership model to key into the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the Federal Government.

The meeting was also to commission the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) at the end of its delibration.

“In the course of our engagements here in Kaduna, we shall commission the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) Shopping Mall which was awarded in 2014 with the aim of consolidating the investment portfolio of the Company and promoting its mission of advancing the commercial and industrial development of our region.

After what seemed an exhaustive delibration, the Forum in a communique signed by its Chairman resolved as follows:

I wish to once again express my profound appreciation for the confidence reposed in me and to assure you that I have accepted this great challenge with determination to give it my all to ensure that the yearnings and aspirations of our people are realized.

“Let me also use this opportunity to thank my predecessor His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, the immediate past Governor of Borno State and indeed all those who worked with him and before him to ensure the continuous success of the Forum.

The meeting came to a close with the commissioning of the NNDC Building by the Chairman of the Forum.