Northern Governors’ Meeting Adopts New Name, Sets Up Array of Committees

Governors of Nigeria’s Northern States have ended their much-advertised two-day meeting with one resounding achievement: they changed their umbrella name from the Northern Governors Forum to the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF). 

On all other issues, the governors, following deliberations that were described as either “indepth” or “extensive,” simply set up an array of committees:

•    Two separate committees of three Governors each to approach the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Finance for more consultations towards benefitting from the Programmes of the Development Partners.
•    A committee to monitor the Implementation of the Federal Government White Paper on Security Challenges in North East Zone;
•    On agriculture, to proffer recommendations on means of improving agricultural production, storage, processing and access to Local and International Markets and other allied activities.
•    On the Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL), a committee of 5-Governors to look at the whole gamut of KTL and proffer recommendations on the way forward.

Briefed on the menace of polio by the National Primary Health Development Agency on the prevalence of wild polio virus in the Northern State, the Forum, among others, commended the Federal Government for additional funds for eradication of polio, and resolved to strengthen the State Task Force on Polio Eradication in each member State by making it more functional.  They will also prevail on Local Government Chairmen in the Northern States to continue to support polio programmes, particularly through sustained enlightenment campaigns.

With reference to the insecurity in the area, the forum noted that the region needs an integrated approach towards tackling the challenge, and resolved to adopt “a pragmatic, holistic and integrated regional approach to combating crime through collective effort of all Security Agencies.”  The States will adopt common policies and programmes, and build confidence among the people to promote economic prosperity in the North.

The Forum, according to a communiqué which was signed by the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, was briefed by officials of the World Bank, DFID and other development partners on the need to facilitate the development of critical sectors in the North such as health, education, social protection, water and agriculture, commerce and public financial reform.

The meeting was held to deliberate on issues of common interest that have a direct bearing on socio-economic development of not only the Northern States but the nation in general.

The Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, focused on the challenge of insecurity in the North, and expressed the resolve of his Council to in the effort to address their common concerns.

SaharaReporters learned today from a source at the meeting that the key agenda of the governors is the destination of the presidency in 2015, but that the matter would not be reflected in the communiqué so as to avoid elevating political tensions in the country.