Govs, traditional rulers in the North charged on challenges facing region

‎Political leaders and traditional rulers in the 19 northern states have been charged to rise up and address the challenges affecting the region.

The chairman of the Northern Governors` Forum, Alhaji Shettima Kashim gave the charge ‎today while declaring open the meeting of the
Nineteen Northern Governors with the Council of Emirs and Chiefs in the region in Kaduna.

Alhaji Kashim who is also the governor of Borno state charged them to discuss and ‎address the under-development of the region.

The chairman of the Forum who was represented by the governor of Katsina state, Alhaji Aminu Masari, called on all stakeholders to
proffer a viable, sustainable and long term solutions to the problems affecting the region.

He noted that conflict between farmers and herds men have assumed dangerous and worrisome dimension leading to destruction of lives and
properties.

Governor Kashim explained that combine effort of governments was required to address the menace and the attendance effect of Boko
Haram.

The Northern Governors Forum chairman condemned provocative statements and utterances coming from some section of the Nation advising the
people to desist from such to strengthen the Country.

He called on the meeting to adopt a position on restructuring ‎to erase the view that the North was opposed to the issue.

Governor Kashim urged Northern leaders to look into the future with all sense of responsibilities and advised them to develop the
political will and implement the various policies initiated for the region to achieve greatness.

The Chairman challenged them to redirect the energy of the Youths to productive ventures such as agro-based industries, trade and Commerce
in order to be the shining light of the Nation.

‎In his opening remarks, the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai urged them to make appropriate use of the abundant sunlight
among others available in the region to generate electricity.

Governor El-Rufai advised the region to outline its view and make necessary contribution to the ongoing Constitutional review to
strengthen the Nation.

The Kaduna State Governor emphasized the need to break the ‎region out of poverty to ensure its economy growth by making use of the best use
of the available agricultural and solid mineral potentials.

He called on the leaders to address the security challenges confronting the region especially communal clashes, kidnapping, armed
robbery among others.

Responding on behalf of the Traditional Rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa`ad ‎Abubakar pledged their support to peace and
tranquility in the region and the Nation and efforts to pull the region out of poverty.

The Sultan ‎explained that Royal fathers are aware of the security challenges affecting the region and the Nation stating that series of
meeting had been going on with prominent leaders and groups to address it particularly the threat to the Igbos

The Royal Father charged the political leaders to develop the commitment to implement developmental policies and ideas initiated at various meetings.