…say zone won’t join planned nationwide protest
The North Western caucus of the House of Representatives has applauded President Bola Tinubu for signing the North West Development Commission Bill into law, saying the commission will help address issues of prolonged insecurity and underdevelopment in the area.
The northwestern part of the country made up of Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto states has been heavily degraded by insecurity in recent times.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, July 26, the leader of the North West caucus in the House, Hon. Sada Soli, said the Bill is part of an effort to ginger the economic and social development of the geopolitical zone and restore parity to a people who for years were forced to watch as their lands were ravaged by the gratuitous violence of bandits and other miscreants.
Soli said the Commission will cause the rebuilding of our ruined infrastructure, from roads, schools, health facilities and markets, to homes and places of worship, business premises and other social amenities.
He said more importantly, “The Commission brings renewed hope to a geopolitical zone whose social fabric and mental well-being have been brutalized by a senseless violence that has been unabating and intractable.
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“The sporadic attacks have since escalated into a multidimensional crisis that has hampered agricultural activities and trade and turned some of the most industrious and thriving communities in the North West geopolitical zone into ghost towns as people flee their homes and become refugees.
“This has manifestly impacted the famous cross-border trade and flourishing agrobusiness between the geopolitical zone and neighbouring countries.
“Most of our border constituencies, which were historically vibrant commercial centres, with massive large-scale farmers exporting produce to various parts of Africa, including Niger Republic, Mali, and Benin Republic, have since been abandoned by farmers, importers, and exporters, due to this wanton violence. As a result, Internally Generated Revenues in these states have been negatively affected.
“Politically, in voting so overwhelmingly for President Tinubu in the last election, the North West geopolitical zone had hoped that the famous Asiwaju, who had shown himself to be a patriot of the first order and a man who believed in fairness and equity, would make policy decisions that will bring development to our states by rescuing them from the evils of banditry and cross border terrorism.
He said the Commission is a tremendous boost to the valiant efforts of the governors of the North West geopolitical zone and has further justified the zone’s trust in President Tinubu’s commitment to help revamp this geopolitical zone and place it on a sound pedestal.
He appealed to the President to intensify efforts in addressing the security challenges still prevalent in the geopolitical zone particularly, and other parts of the country at large, adding that a broader security sector reform will enable our people to return to their normal lives, leading to positive changes in economic development and social order.
He said: “n behalf of the members of the entire members of the North West Caucus in the House of Representatives and the millions of people we represent, we wish to thank President Tinubu for his abiding efforts in leading this country through difficult times and to appeal to Nigerians to continue to give this government their unalloyed support.”
He said as a result of the performance of the President, members of the National Assembly, particularly from the North West and indeed other political, traditional, and religious leaders in the North West geopolitical zone will not support the planned nationwide protest
“We do not support the scheduled nationwide protest planned by some elements to further disrupt the very delicate balance of the country right now.
“We appeal to the peaceful and law-abiding people of the North West geopolitical zone, who have suffered enough disruption of their peace, not to join in this potentially destructive exercise, but rather to give governments at both the Federal and State levels more chance to look at the issues concerned”.
He commended those who support d the passage of the bill while calling for a similar commitment on the part of those who would be saddled with managing this Commission to ensure that they worked diligently to realize the goals of this bill and the promise it holds for the development of the North West geopolitical zone.
