The Coalition of Northern Groups has asked the Northern voters to resist temptation of voting along religion, tribe and party lines in the 2023 general election.
CNG also urged northerners to ask those seeking their votes to provide comprehensive programmes for the development of the region and promotion of their interest.
This is part of the resolutions contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day retreat of CNG held in Bauchi State.
The CNG resolved to call on the northern voters to remain vigilant on the direction the elections will take by “resisting the temptation to vote sole across political party, region, tribe or religious basis and instead, choose to install a credible leadership that could see the nation through and out of its current situation, from if needs be, even the so called peripheral parties.
“To demand from every candidate seeking northern votes to provide comprehensive programmes for the development of the region and promotion of protection of Northern interests around security and the economy”.
On humanitarian issues in the North, the retreat resolved to alert the nation to wake up to the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster that Boko Haram and activities of bandits have created.
The CNG warned of the “imminent danger of neglecting millions of our fellow citizens who are internally displaced and hundreds of thousands of orphans, with hunger and malnourishment, previously unknown in our land becoming alarming features of existence.
“Warn that dealing with this humanitarian disaster will require a stronger political will and deployment of the highest administrative and managerial competences.
“Recognize that the simultaneous challenges of continuing the fight against Boko Haram, rehabilitating IDPs and rebuilding lives, communities and infrastructure will require the best in leadership capacities.
“Warn that the current quality of coordination of efforts, management of skills and resources and the capacities and integrity of government agencies do not do justice to the magnitude of the problems, or address the sense of urgency in dealing with an escalating disaster.
“Demand government to overhaul the existing institutional mechanisms involved in dealing with the management of the humanitarian disaster before the problem becomes much worse than it is”, it stated.
On the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the CNG ratified “to direct state chapters to meet with their respective state chapters of ASUU to gain real insight into their grievances and the level of government commitment. To take measures to attract greater local and international attention.”
“To wage a sustained widespread online campaign. To condemn unequivocally the obvious double standards and deception by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) with its unexplained silence on its pledge to resume a three-day nationwide solidarity protest several days after the expiration of their two-week ultimatum for government to act to resolve the University workers crisis.
On the security situation, the retreat resolved to meet governors of Northern states to present and discuss a comprehensive action plan put together by the CNG to check the situation.
“Demand an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation into growing concerns over rampant defence corruption running into trillions of Naira.
“Demand urgent government explanation on what is inhibiting the ability of Nigerian armed forces to effectively tackle the insurgent threat in the North East, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest as well as respond to the secessionist violence in the Southeast, oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, the conflict in the north central, and the threat of maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” the communique added.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then