By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF), the highest decision making organ of the leaders of 19th northern region, is not known as a bias regional body. The ownership of the popular New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) and properties, and other assets that spread across the length and breath of Nigeria, is dwindling.
Over decades, the NSGF survived successive regimes ranchors freed, internally and externally. The forum served as centre of unity and peace and has always almost had full membership attendant over the years with little or no excuses for absenteeism. its ideas, longtime decisions were invariably uncontestable by member states in time past.
However, recent events and developments have demonstrated that the forum is no longer what it used to be in terms of representation, oneness, uniformity and people oriented resolutions.
The question therefore consistently being asked without corresponding answers has to do with where the 19th Northern States Governors forum, known for unbeatable consistent representation, unison and robust resolutions, have gotten it wrong? And indeed, why some Governors are suddenly becoming inconsistent and in the habit of all times absent from the forum without people demanding to know by way of questions and answers.
Recent investigation by our correspondent, uncovered that many Governors, conspicuously absent from the last forum held in Kaduna State, the defunct capital of old northern region, have long time records and history of absenteeism from the forum.
Infact, for well over a year, the Governor of Benue State, has been absented from the forum. His Taraba State counterpart, Kano, Kogi and few others have join the wagon of absenteeism for not attending the forum over times consecutively. Although, no official statement has been advanced for the courses of their perpetual habitual absenteeism, our correspondent however gathered that some governors deliberately ignored the forum, the highest decision making body after ACF, Northern Elder Forum (NEF) and Northern Elders council (NEC).Findings revealed the affected governors continuous absenteeism from the forum’s meetings in kaduna for a long time were due to reasons that are so obvious, some of which observers majorly attributed partly to insecurity, political and to se extend, personal.
For instance, more often than not, the forum had not been attended by the governors Benue, Taraba, Kano among others. Indeed, the last forum of the Governors which took place on Monday 2nd November 2020 at sir kashim Ibrahm house kaduna, was poor and attended by the familiar Governors of Kaduna, kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa , Plateau, Borno, Gombe, and most likely Nasarawa and Niger states. It’s also obvious that in some instances, no representations were seen from Benue as the case had been in the last forum of the governors, who’s resolutions had been a source of serious contentions by northerners especially Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) led by abdulazeez Suleiman.
Other findings also revealed that, the acrimony has nothing to do with political party affiliation in terms of APC or PDP factor, as speculated by people in some quarters.
However, the continuous ignominy among some governors may not be unconnected with differences arising from unfair treatment and inactions of the forum towards some states in parts of the northern region, particularly the “Benue/Taraba age-long farmers/herders clashes”, and lives and properties lost.
The crises in these states of Benue and Taraba province involving the tribes Jukuns, Tivs and Idomas and their Fulani herdsmen brother, no doubt, created the bad blood and largely contributed to the division in NSGF.Similar situation had made manifestation in similar incidents in Southern part of kaduna state where the natives, predominantly Christians, have complained bitterly of abandoned to their faith by the state government under Mall Nasiru el-Rufai, who is the forum’s host Governor.
In fact, Benue state Governor Mr. Samuel Ortom, down the consequences and stopped attending the Governor’s forum long before his second tenure, apparently owing to the impasse. He has even stopped sending representative, as no known deputy Governor or SSG represented the state in the last northern Governor’s forum held in kaduna. This is also applicable to some other states governors of the middle Belt region as currently observed.
On the part Kano state Governor’s continuous absenteeism, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his kaduna counterpart Mail Nasiru el-Rufai may be political/personal differences. The duo have stopped seen eye to eye right from the time former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was deposed and sent to Nasarawa state for exile. While in the exile, the Governor of kaduna state handed him two appointments and fought for Sanusi’s exit from exile in Nasarawa state and escorted him to Lagos State, against Ganduje’s utmost surprise.
However, after an extensive deliberation at the last meeting of NSGF with Emirs and Chiefs, the forum resolved among other thi, that major control mechanism and censorship of social media practice in Nigeria, be put in place. The forum, in a Communique presented by it’s chairman and Governor of plateau state Mr. Simon Lalong also resolved that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the Country, the decisions that were however contested by CNG and others.
The forum appreciated the roles of Traditional rulers in containing the menace of Endsars protests in the north and collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the Country.
The forum meeting rejected and condemned what it described as the subversive actions of the “Endsars protest.” The superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot Box soon take advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their seperative agenda. The forum also endorsed the indivisibility, indissolubility and oneness of the Nation”, adding that it took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news.
The meeting therefore called for major control mechanism and censorship of the social media practice in Nigeria
Meeting raises attention on the need to keep strict watch on the Federal Capital Territory to guide against unwarranted and destructives protests to safeguard critical assets of the Nation. Meeting commends the national Assembly and the Presidency in being proactive in addressing the issues of Endsars protests across the country and stressed the need to further push for amicable resolutions of ASSU strikes to enable students resume their studies,
Meeting resolved that there is the need for regular meetings of this nature, while it called for further engagement with other critical stakeholders such as Religious Leaders, Business community, youths leaders, among others.
“Accordingly, the meeting approved the setting up of two major engagement committees on roles of traditional Rulers Membership, to be chaired by Emir of Lafiya as Chairman, while the Committee on Youth and Civil Societies will be chaired by Emir of Zazzau as Chairman. They Called for collective effort in addressing the lingering challenges of the North especially Almajiri system, insecurity, illiteracy, poverty. The meeting was also attended by Senate President, IGP, among the northern personalities. The solutions to all the acrimonies lies in the ability, willingness and courage to mend the fends through fair reconciliation of aggrieved states governors through a committee by the chairman of the northern Governor’s forum Mr. Simon Lalong.
