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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Northern State Governors Forum yesterday rose from its two -day meeting setting up a high-powered committee to collate views and comments on the state of the nation with specific reference to agitations for restructuring of the country.
A six-page communiqué signed by chairman of the forum, Kashim Shettima, but read to newsmen by Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari, noted that, it had become necessary to set up the committee because the agitations for restructuring had assumed different meanings to different people.
The committee, chaired by governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has governors of Nassarawa, Gombe, Benue, Bauchi and Kaduna states, as well as, Emirs of Kano, Zazzau, Gummi, Etsu Nupe, Gbong Gwom Jos, as members.
Deputy Governor of Plateau State will serve as secretary.
The committee is expected to come up with acceptable, tenable and sustainable position for the Northern region in consonance with provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The communiqué also condemned the recent bloody attacks in Taraba, Plateau, Kaduna and other states, and promised to take decisive measures to end frequent herders and farmers clashes in the region.
Other parts of the communiqué read: “the forum called on community and opinion leaders, as well as, political office holders to be circumspect and use tact and finesse in their comments on national issues or conflict situations and refrain from making inflammatory statements, especially through the social media that may create tension in the polity or threaten the unity of the nation.
“Forum also called on the FG to strengthen the capability of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies with adequate funding and logistical requirements to enable them perform their statutory mandate in a more effective and efficient manner.
“It is also pertinent that funds and operational equipment allocated to our security agencies, cascade down to all the various command structures at the state level. This will improve their ability to effectively check security challenges”.
The forum, however, urged the Federal Government to relinquish forest reserves to their domiciled states for better manning and proper security coverage, tracing increased rate of banditry in the region to inability of government to leave it for host states.
