Northern Governors, Traditional Rulers Meet In Kaduna Over Insecurity

The governors of the nineteen Northern State, Traditional Rulers and Service Chiefs have met in Kaduna Thursday to discuss the alarming rise in insecurity threats and other socio-economic problems in the region.

The meeting, held at Kaduna State Government House, is coming two weeks after the Northwest governors held a similar meeting with the service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser to discuss ways forward on the issue of banditry and kidnapping hunting in the region.

Among the attendants of the meeting are state governors of Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kano, Katsina, Plateau and deputy governors of Bauchi, Kogi, Zamfara, Benue and Niger States.

Others present include the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Information and Culture, and the Director-General State Security Services.

Traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto and representatives of the Northern Elders Forum also made an appearance.

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In their opening remarks, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and the Chairman of the Forum, Simon Lalong, said the meeting was long overdue and important for the progress of the north and the country at large.

El-Rufai urged his colleagues to adopt strategies to forestall all forms of security challenges in the north. Governor Lalong on his part, regretted the attacks and killings ravaging the region. He noted that it is the responsibility of governors and other leaders to find lasting solutions to the problem.

He further described the recent kidnapping of school children in Government Science Secondary School, Kagara, Niger State, and the travelling passengers as a wake-up call for leaders. He added that it is a sad reminder of the difficult situation that the region is facing.

Commenting on herder-farmers clashes, which, in recent weeks, has generated serious concerns because of the harsh rhetoric from various parts of the country, he agreed that open grazing is no longer sustainable for obvious reasons.

He urged the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) to key into the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP), saying it is a sure option that will go a long way in bringing a permanent solution to the clashes through organized ranching.

The forum also appealed to their colleagues in other parts of the country and all Nigerians, particularly opinion leaders to be cautious in their utterances and actions. They warned that unguided utterances could provide oxygen for the exploitation of the fault lines of Nigeria at the detriment of the entire country.

During the meeting, the leaders were expected to take a hard and critical look at the conflicts and come up with ways and means of addressing them squarely.