Arewa

North now challenged by insurgency banditry, ethnic, religious crises, Gombe gov says

Gombe State governor/chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has observed that the Northern region is now challenged by insurgency in the North-East, ethnic and religious crises within the North-Central as well as farmers/herders’ clashes and the subsequent effect of banditry and cattle rustling, among others.

The governor stated while answering questions from newsmen shortly after he visited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in his office in Abuja.

He recalled with nostalgia, when the North was an indivisible entity and peaceful region devoid of crimes, ethno-religious conflicts and other socioeconomic challenges.

He said his leadership of the NSGF will give priority attention to restoring the glory of the region through constant engagements, peer reviews and deliberate action and consensus building.

“Whether we like it or not, the issue of banditry is as a result of farmer-herders’ clashes that led to people losing their sources of livelihood, hence, the incessant fighting, and that is why there is insecurity in the North

“But I am sure if we continue to collaborate and engage with one another, with the understanding and accommodation of everybody’s interest, the better for us and that is what we are doing. I believe it is going to be for the betterment of the whole North and the entire country,” he said.

He expressed commitment to galvanising support among his colleagues and other critical stakeholders across the North, with a view to finding a lasting solution to issues bordering on security and socioeconomic development among the people of the region.

While responding to a question on his administration’s economic and infrastructural revolution, he said, “in our quest to meet the yearnings and aspirations of our people, we came up with a 10-year development agenda fashioned in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

He also said that with the development agenda being implemented, Gombe is now a terminus that encapsulates growth, development, peace and shared prosperity for all.

The governor further explained that his administration was able to deliver the goods in education, healthcare, infrastructure, industrial and commercial development; hence, the ranking of the state as the best in Ease of Doing Business for two consecutive times by the KPMG, a reputable consultancy firm commissioned by the Federal Government.

On the prevailing peace in Gombe State, he attributed it to the cordial relationship existing among the different ethnic and religious groups in the state.

He also explained that the synergy with which his administration engages security agencies and the traditional institution in the state equally plays an important role in maintaining the peace and neutralising any form of crime and criminality in the state.

On details of his visit to the SGF, he said that he was in his office to congratulate him on behalf of the government and people of Gombe State as well as the entire Northern region in his capacity as chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum.

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