WHY POVERTY IS A NORTHERNER - SHETIMA

The Northern Governors’ Forum, NGF, is holding its maiden meeting in Kaduna since the governors were sworn in last May.

Ibrahim-Shetima

The meeting is taking place at the Hassan Katsina Hall, along Kawo road, with 12 out of the 19 Northern Governors in attendance, while the rest were represented by their deputies.

The Governor of Borno State, Hon. Kashim Shetima, who is the Chairman of the Forum, read his opening address in which he lamented that poverty in Nigeria wears a Northern face.

He however affirmed that the days of lamentation were over, promising to lead the forum to a new prosperous north.

He said: “Today, our region has become a thriving nest for war, terrorism, deep seated social divisions, senseless violence, mind-boggling intolerance, injustice, destitution, joblessness and all manner of social vices, the height of which is the madness called Boko Haram.

“Things have become so bad, so much that we can say without contradiction that poverty now glaringly wears a bold Northern Face.

“We have turned our region into a laughing stock, derided by friends and foes alike, and, without justification, as having dragged the rest of the country down with us.

“No amount of lamentation will, of course, solve our problems. We need to act, and fast too. This generation of northern leaders, led by us the governors, have both moral and constitutional responsibility as well as a historic opportunity to reverse the negative fortunes of our people.

“We must do everything in our power to restore and entrench the lofty values of unity, understanding, tolerance, mutual respect, empathy, justice and mutual coexistence in the minds of our people and region.

“We must firmly and decisively commit ourselves to fighting poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, terrorism and other forms of violent crimes in the north”, he said.

The governors of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Taraba and Benue are in attendance. Other governors are those of Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa, Zamafara, Sokoto and Kwara.

Kebbi, Niger, Katsina, Kogi, Yobe, Gombe, and Jigawa, all were represented by their deputy governors.

A communiqué is expected this evening at the end their deliberations.