Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has charged members of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) to pursue regional unity for the forum to remain relevant.
He made this known on Friday during the inaugural meeting of NGF going on in Kaduna.
While thanking the governors for their individual and collective condolence messages on the loss of citizens in the unfortunate Tudun Biri military drone attack, the Kaduna state governor counselled his colleagues to remember why the forum was established.
He said,, “beyond the pursuit of a pan- Nigeria ideal, regional unity is a strategic agenda that should be pursued.
” The Forum was put together in the strong belief it promotes the values of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity and is critical to the search for sustainable solutions to the region’s development challenges.
” Diversity and ethno-religious unity remain the foundation for advancing the ideals of regional peace, security and development in the North.Â
“Northern Governors must work together towards empowering the people as key production forces for the growth of the North. This requires deliberate policy designs and implementation in ways that recognize the critical role of leadership in leading such initiatives.Â
Also, he noted that regionalism, in the context of what the North represents, is an expression embedded in shared identity and purpose, anchored on the principle of mutual respect and cooperation between and among states.
“The people of the North, regardless of political, ethnic and religious inclinations, are one people, with a shared destiny, not driven by any short-term consideration.
“Our region has been grappling with challenges of insecurity. Our human development indices have been declining.Â
“For the Northern Governors Forum to remain relevant, we must forge unity among our people and collaborate on development issues. We must fashion a Marshal Plan for the development of the North. Our situation is dire and requires concerted and sustained action.
“Dear colleagues, the vision for designing a strategic agenda for the development of the north should be anchored on a core ideal that puts the people at the centre of our aspirations and drives. This is simply because the mandate we got to lead emanated from the people.
To this end, he posited,” We must develop a Common Strategy and Operational Plan to tackle insecurity. We must establish a Command and Control Centre to coordinate our joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements in our region.
After the welcome address, the governors went into a closed-door meeting with the Governor of Gombe, who doubles as the chairman of the NGF, presiding over the meeting.Â
Other governors in attendance were the governors of Borno, Babagana Zulum, Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, Katsina, and Dikko Radda, among others.
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