In a bid to nip in the bud the spate of insecurity in the north, the Northern States Governors Forum, (NSGF) yesterday inaugurated the committee on reconciliation, healing and security, with a stressing that the recurring insecurity challenges in the Northern States and around the country pose serious threat to national stability, unity and development.
They also set up a committee to peruse the draft Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB) currently at the National Assembly and come out with recommendations on how it will affect the northern states.
According to the committee chairman of NSGF and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, while inaugurating the committee, asked them to look at reports and other white papers including; reports of the Wammako-led Northern Governors’ Committee on security; Report of Northern States Attorneys-General; Sheikh Ahmed Lemu Report on post Election violence probe; Galtimari report on security challenges in north eastern Nigeria; and general Abdusalami Abubakar and Maitama Sule Report, among others.
Governors present at the meeting include, Niger, Kogi, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Benue (Deputy), Adamawa (Deputy).
While the committee was also given 90 days to submits it report to the NSGF, its terms of reference include; to liaise with stakeholders in the Northern States, particularly the affected states, and get to the root of the security challenges and proffer solutions; Dialogue with any identified groups with a view to negotiating the way out of menace; Liaise with the federal government and deliberate on the best approach to resolving the security challenges; workout modalities for reconciling warring parties/communities in the North; organize meeting and have interactive sessions with stake holders across the states.
Others are to engage experts from the society for peace studies and practice (SPSP), West African Network on Peace building (WANEP) and other relevant organizations for the further discussion and strategic inputs; recommend mechanisms for peace building and entrenchment of enduring democratic values at the ward, local government and state level; and design mechanisms to address youth restiveness and unemployment in the region.
Chairman of the NSGF said “the decision to constitute this high powered committee of eminent Nigerians of Northern states extraction was borne out of the recurrent incidents of violence and wanton destruction of lives and property which has almost crippled the economy of northern states and paralyzed socio-political activities to the detriment of development and national pride.
“It is against this background that the Forum views the recurring insecurity challenges in the northern states and around the country as serious threat to national stability, unity and development. We therefore believe that the nation’s security and stability are of paramount interest to the Nigerian populace and that it is our moral obligation to ensure the protection of the lives and property of all citizens of this country resident in our states.
“Securing our future as one united, indivisible and prosperous nation must be pursued with a sense of equity, fairness and justice. We have realized that most of the challenges we are facing of poverty, unemployment, youth restiveness and violence are manifestation of rejection of core values of honesty, equity, fairness and justice in our communities, societies and indeed nation. We have allowed greed, corruption and incompetence to overwhelm us over time. The situation has left majority of the people aggrieved, while we have collectively abandoned our comparative advantage in agriculture, to the extent that as a nation we now virtually import every food item to the detriment of our growth, progress and development.
“This is the time to restore the admirable lost values and virtues that previously distinguished us from other people, as most stable and orderly community, with rich cultural diversities in this country.
“We therefore expect this committee to synthesize every previous report, white papers, communique of conferences or commissions of enquiry into the insecurity situation in our nation, particularly in the Northern states, with a view to giving us actionable proposals for tackling the issues at the family, ward, local government, state and national levels.”
On the PIB he said, “we have set up a committee to look at the draft PIB to know how it will affect the northern states”
He also stated that the unity and development of the nation, as we have gone beyond tribalism, ethnicity or religious chauvinism which are merely instruments of discrimination and promotion of primordial sentiments by some people for their own selfish interests.
He said the committees can break into sub committees on. Security, women and youth empowerment, economic regeneration and integration as well as reconciliation and healing for effective discharge of this onerous responsibility.
“It is for this reason that we have resolved at this forum not to allow partisanship to influence our relationships and decision making processes. Whether anybody from PDP, CPC or ANPP, it does not matter, as we are united by the need to deliver services and to protect the lives and property of the people, irrespective of our political party affiliations.
“Thus we expect this committee to assist by broadly looking at the issues of religious extremism, intolerance, and mutual disrespect which appear to be creating more ethnic and religious cleavages that are further separating us from one another. Other issues to look at include: the virtually collapsed Northern State economy, including the poor internally generated revenue profile, mechanisms for peaceful co-existence and integration; youth and women empowerment; ethnicity and Indigene/settler syndrome; insecurity of kidnappings, murders and bombings; the almajiri syndrome and integration of Islamic and western educational systems; infrastructural deficits; as well as the entrenchment of democratic values in our communities, right from the family level. It is also important for us to look into how we can make elected and appointed public officers to work diligently for the people while stamping out corruption in our system.”
“Let me use this opportunity to strongly appeal to all the people, especially the aggrieved parties to allow peace and tranquility to reign in our states, as we must not allow emotions and sentiments to override us. There is the need for tolerance of one another in the interest of national peace and integration. This call is very crucial because the interest of the nationa is above any personal or sectional interests. This committee will be headed by Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim as chairman.
Members of the committee include:
1 Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim c/o Governor of Katsina State
2 Prof. Tijani El-Miskin c/o Governor of Borno State
3 Prof. Shedrack Best c/o Governor of Plateau State
4 Alhaji Abubakar Tsav c/o Governor of Benue State
5 Prof. Habu Galadima c/o Governor of Nasarawa State
6 AIG Hamisu Ali Jos [rtd] c/o Governor of Plateau State
7 Gen. Martin Luther Agwai [rtd] c/o Governor of Kaduna State
8 Prof. Muhammad Akaro Mainoma c/o Governor of Nasarawa State
9 Hajiya Dije Bala c/o Governor of Niger State
10 Maj. Gen. Yakubu Usman [rtd] c/o Governor of Bauchi State
11 Prof. Sani Abdulkadir c/o Governor of Kogi State
12 AVM Mukhtar Mohammed [rtd] c/o Governor of Jigawa State
13 Justice Umaru Abdullahi c/o Governor of Katsina State
14 Haj. Mariam Uwais c/o Governor of Kano State
15 Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa c/o Governor of Kano State
16 Group Capt. Bilal Bulama [rtd] c/o Governor of Yobe State
17 Col Musa Shehu [rtd] c/o Governor of Sokoto State
18 Iliya Ithuve c/o Governor of Taraba State
19 Ali M. Dandiya c/o Governor of Adamawa State
20 Gen. GP Zidon [rtd] c/o Governor of Adamawa State
21 Justice Usman Baba Liman c/o Governor of Gombe State
22 Sheikh Mohammed Isa Talata Mafara Cleric, c/o Governor of Zamfara State
23 Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah Cleric, c/o Governor of Sokoto State
24 Karibullah Nasiru Kabara Cleric, c/o Governor of Kano State
25 Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachikun Cleric, c/o Governor of Kaduna State
26 Sheikh Ahmed Lemu Cleric, c/o Governor of Niger State
27 Bishop Michael E. Apochi Cleric, c/o Governor of Benue State
28 Imam Goni Mohammed Gabcha Cleric, c/o Governor of Borno State
29 Imam Salman Aboki A. Ankpa Cleric, c/o Governor of Kogi State
30 Bishop Buba Lammido Wusasa Cleric, c/o Governor of Kaduna State
S/N Names Contacts
31 Rev. Kalla Abari Cleric, c/o Governor of Gombe State
32 HRH, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari The Emir of Ilorin, Kwara
33 HRH, Alhaji Zaiyanu Abdullahi The Emir of Yauri, Kebbi
34 HRH, Dr. Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa The Lamido of Adamawa, Adamawa
35 HRH, Nde Joshua Y. Dimlong Ngolong Ngas, Plateau
36 Dr. Kole Shettima MacArthur Foundation, Nigeria
37 Dr. Shettima Ali Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation
38 Mrs. Aisha Oyebode Murtala Mohammed Foundation
39 Dr. [Mrs.] Nguyan Feese ESSPIN, Nigeria
40 Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi WRAPA, Abuja
41 Sister Kathleen McGarvey Inter-Faith Council, Kaduna.