Yahaya: We’ll Galvanise Support against Insecurity in North

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has expressed commitment to galvanising support among his colleagues and other critical stakeholders across the north  with a view to finding a lasting solution on issues bordering on security and socio-economic development among the people of the region. 

The governor stated this yesterday while answering questions from newsmen shortly after he visited  the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in his office in Abuja. 

Yahaya, who recalled with nostalgia, when the North was an indivisible entity and peaceful region devoid of crimes, ethno-religious conflicts and other socio-economic challenges,  said his leadership as Chairman of the NSGF would give priority attention to restoring its past glory through constant engagements,  peer reviews and deliberate action and consensus building. 

He observed that the region was now challenged by insurgency in the North East, ethnic and religious crisis within the North Central as well as farmers/herders clashes and the subsequent effect of banditry and cattle rustling among others.

“Whether we like it or not, the issue of banditry is as a result of farmer-herder clashes that led to people losing their sources of livelihood hence the incessant fighting, and that is why there is insecurity in the North. 

“But I am sure if we continue to collaborate and engage with one another, with the understanding and accommodation of everybody’s interest, the better for us and that is what we are doing, and I believe it is going to be for the betterment of the whole North and the entire country.

“So, we must use this platform to properly place the North on the smooth trajectory of social cohesion, economic emancipation and infrastructural development in line with the vision of our heroes past.”

Responding to a question on his administration’s economic and infrastructural revolution,  Governor Inuwa Yahaya explained that “in our quest to meet the yearnings and aspirations of our people, we came up with a 10-year Development Agenda fashioned in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

“The secret is that our administration has placed high priority on human capital development as the catalyst of growth with special focus on education, health and youth development as well as agriculture, commerce and trade.”