The Nation Newspaper

Tag: northern governors

  • Northern governors must fight terrorism – Maku

    Northern governors must fight terrorism – Maku

    The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on Wednesday urged the 19 northern state governors to avoid grandstanding and begin to prepare their people to check terror in their states.

    He made the remark while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

    According to him, Northern governors must do more than criticizing federal government’s decision to extend the current state of emergency in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States.

    Stressing that terrorism is a community war, he said state governors, especially the 19 Northern governors, should also ensure proper monitoring of all persons “within, coming in and going out of their states.”

    Such community wars, he said, cannot just be won by the Federal Government sending troops to the states.

    Maku also maintained that the cooperation of all Nigerians is inevitable in order to win the war against terror in the country.

    He said: “The war against terror is a Nigerian war, it is our cooperation that will defeat it.  It is our understanding that will isolate the evil. It is the unity of purpose in the country that will lead to victory over terrorism.”

    “We need greater unity to be able to break into what is going on and defeat it, and that is why the grandstanding and politicking that is associated with the fight against terror is increasing the tempo of the terrorists’ activities. The variety of opinion amongst the political class feeds into the confidence of terror groups because their objective is to divide public opinion and continuously penetrate the Nigerian society and destroy it.”

    “And so we continue to plead that all of us in the politics of this country we need to think again to understand that the challenge we face is not to the advantage of anybody, we need to understand that politics aside we need to save our country first.”

  • Arewa, Northern governors condole with Sambo over brother’s death

    The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Monday commiserated with Vice President Namadi Sambo over the death of his younger brother, Capt. Sabo Sambo.

    In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, the ACF described the death of Sambo’s brother, who died in a ghastly motor accident on Sunday, as shocking.

    “It was with grief and shock that ACF learnt of the death of Capt. Sabo Sambo, the younger brother of the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

    “From God we come and to Him we shall all return,’’ the statement read, adding that death was the ultimate end for all mortals, and noted that life is equally transient.

    The statement quoted the ACF as saying that, “the good deeds and service to humanity done by each person shall continue to live after him.”

    “We are aware that Capt. Sambo has been flying for over 30 years; from the defunct Nigeria Airways, Presidential Fleet to Nigeria Police Aircraft, all on service to his fatherland.

    “Capt. Sambo would be remembered for his diligence, commitment to service and most importantly, his humility.

    “We commiserate with the family of the Vice President, and pray to Almighty Allah to grant the departed soul eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus.

    “We also commiserate with the bereaved family and pray Allah to give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

    Also, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) consoled the Vice President over his brother’s death.

    In a condolence message, the NSGF Chairman, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger, on Monday said: “We feel and share in your grief. Take heart.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Capt. Sambo, who was the immediate younger brother to the vice president, died on Sunday on the Bill Clinton drive, Airport Road, Abuja, in a car accident.

    The Forum said the best tribute the vice president could pay to the memory of the departed was for him to continue to touch more lives positively.

     

  • Governors to herdsmen: Expose deviants in your midst

    Governors to herdsmen: Expose deviants in your midst

    The Northern States Governors` Forum (NSGF) has called on Fulani associations to expose deviants in their midst who perpetrate evil in northern part of the country.

    The forum made the call at its meeting with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and other Fulani associations on Thursday night in Abuja.

    The meeting, which ended at 11.30pm, was convened to deliberate among other issues, the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in northern states.

    The clashes, according to the forum, are posing serious security challenges to the region and other parts of the country.

    Reading a communiqué of the meeting to journalists, the Forum Chairman, Governor Babagida Aliyu of Niger, also called on members of Fulani associations in the region to encourage their wards in their educational pursuit.

    “We recognise that the nomadic education, as conceived, will not solve the purpose, so we welcome the idea of settling the Fulanis so that they could enjoy the two world of educational pursuit and rearing their cattle without too much movement,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying at the meeting.

    He stressed that it was important for the Fulanis to expose deviants in their midst, following insinuations that most crimes committed in their names were actually perpetrated by other strangers.

    The governor said that people with evil tendencies now dressed like Fulanis to commit crimes.

    He decried sporadic killings of law abiding citizens by bandits camouflaging as herdsmen.

     

     

  • PDP flays Nyako’s memo to Northern governors

    PDP flays Nyako’s memo to Northern governors

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State over his memo to the Northern governors on the state of insecurity in the Northeast geopolitical zone.

    Nyako had, in the same memo, accused the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of complicity in the spate of terrorist attacks and mindless killings by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The governor also accused the administration of genocide, saying the government was aiding the sect in the killing of innocent citizens in various parts of the north.

    But in statement issued on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party condemned what it described as Governor Nyako’s tendencious letter to the governors.

    The party said it was shocking that such a letter came from an elected person.

    It said Governor Nyako should learn from other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders “who have started guiding their utterances.”

    “Governor Nyako must desist from such and learn from other APC leaders who are now comporting themselves better as a response to PDP statements which succeeded in exposing the link between their unguarded utterances and escalation of violence and insurgency in our nation,” the statement added.

    The PDP charged political figures across board to guide against making violence-instigating statements even as it implored President Jonathan and the 36 state governors to come up with a strong resolution to stop the trend.

    The party also called on all Nigerians, especially respectable politicians to continue to unite against terrorism and all forms of tendencies that promote violence and divide rather than unite the nation.

    “Our resolve is to join hands with responsible, respectable and patriotic Nigerians to highlight and promote our desire to live together in a strong, peaceful and united Nigeria.

    “Our enemies are at the gate, but together we will keep them out as we continually watch our comments and utterances,” the statement added.

     

  • Northern governors hold emergency meeting

    An emergency meeting of the Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) on the security situation in the region and the national conference will hold on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Forum Chairman and Governor of Niger State Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu spoke in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Danladi Ndayebo

    The meeting, according to the statement, would afford the 13 governors, who met with United States government officials and representatives of Norway and Denmark at the United States Peace Institute last Tuesday, to brief members of the forum.

    The statement reads: “The 13-man delegation of the Forum will brief the larger house on the collaboration with the governments of the United States, Norway and Denmark at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

    “In the evening, the forum will meet with national conference delegates from the 19 states of the region to finetune the region’s position.

    “The meeting will hold at 8 p.m. at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja,” the statement said.

  • Boko Haram: Northern Govs call emergency meeting

    Boko Haram: Northern Govs call emergency meeting

    An emergency meeting of the Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) on security situation in the region and the ongoing National Conference holds on Tuesday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    Forum Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo

    The meeting according to the statement will afford the thirteen governors who met with U.S government officials and representatives of Norway and Denmark at the United States Peace Institute last Tuesday to brief members of the forum on the progress made in its search for solutions to the security challenges confronting the region.

    The statement reads, “The 13-man delegation of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) will brief the larger house on the forum’s collaboration with the governments of the United States, Norway and Denmark at 10 am on Tuesday at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja”.

    The statement further said the reinvigoration of U.S attention on the north, economic investment opportunities in the region, security and challenges of private investments in the north were the highlights of the governors’ meeting with United States officials.

    Also in the evening, the forum will be meeting with delegates from the 19 states of the region at the National Conference.

    “The 19 Northern Governors will also meet with members to the ongoing National Conference from the North to fine tune the region’s position at the talk shop. The meeting will hold at 8pm at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on the same day,” the statement added.

  • Don’t despair over Boko Haram – Northern governors

    The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF)  has urged  inhabitants of the troubled states of the North East region of the country not to despair over the persistence of attacks on them by members of Boko Haram.

    The forum predicted that the end to the insurgency, senseless killing and unwanton destruction would soon come.

    The forum through its Chairman who is also Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu urged all stakeholders to continue to pray to God to end the scourge of what they described as “senseless killing of defenceless citizens”.

    Reacting to the Saturday’s explosions which killed several persons at the heavily populated Ngomari-Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri, Borno State in a statement by the forum’s Chairman’s spokesman, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, the forum urged the perpetrators of the dastardly act to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue.

    The statement reads, : “The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) condemns the murderous terrorist attack which killed several persons at the heavily populated Ngomari-Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri, Borno State.

    “The forum deeply regrets this utterly heinous descent to new depths of terror by the perpetrators at a time when security agencies are doing their best to put an end to the scourge of senseless killing of defenceless citizens”.

    The forum then urged members of the dreaded Boko Haram to embrace dialogue, saying “it is the surest way to resolve grievances is through dialogue and not violence”.

    The forum commiserated with the families of those killed or injured during the blast and called on all security agencies to re-double their efforts in the discharge of their responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of the citizens.

  • Northern governors meet Monday over confab, security

    Northern governors meet Monday over confab, security

    The Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) is  meeting  in Kaduna on Monday on the proposed national conference, Chairman of the forum, Babangida Aliyu, announced yesterday.

    The Niger State governor  said the meeting will review the security situation in the region and the forthcoming National Conference.

    The governors  are also scheduled to  discuss the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) and donations made to the dependents of security personnel who lost their lives during the Ombatse killings in Nasarawa State last year.

    The chairman of the forum had led a delegation of four governors of the forum to Lafia, Nasarawa State last year, where the forum made a pledge of N100 million   to the families of those who were killed by members of the Ombatse cult group in Alakyo village of the state.

    The  governors’ meeting  will be preceded on Sunday by a meeting of the Forum of Secretaries to the Governments of the 19 northern states, under the chairmanship of the coordinating Chairman of the forum and Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Mr. Saidu Ndako Idris Kpaki.

  • National confab: Northern Governors meet Monday

    National confab: Northern Governors meet Monday

    The Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) will meet in Kaduna on Monday to discuss the proposed national conference, the Chairman of the Forum, Babangida Aliyu, said on Friday.

    The Niger State governor said the meeting will also review the security situation in the region.

    Other issues that will be discussed at the meeting, according to the governor, include the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) and donations made to the dependents of security personnel killed during the Ombatse killings in Nasarawa last year.

    Governor Aliyu led a delegation of four northern governors to Lafia last year, where the Forum pledged N100 million to the families of those killed by Ombatse group in Alakyo Village.

     

  • Xmas: Northern governors preach peace, tolerance

    Xmas: Northern governors preach peace, tolerance

    The Northern States Governors Forum on Tuesday called on Christians to spread the virtues of peace, love and charity, which underscored Christ’s mission on earth as they celebrate Christmas.

    In a Christmas message issued in Minna, the forum’s Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, called on Christians to use the opportunity to pray fervently for an end to the numerous challenges confronting the nation.

    The forum’s statement that was signed by Governor Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, said there was no better time to preach and internalize Jesus Christ’s mission on earth than now owing to increasing intolerance in the country.

    He urged the faithful to continue to co-habit peacefully with non-Christians so as to engender sustainable peace that was needed for the growth and development of the nation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Aliyu wished Christians a joyful celebration and prayed for the warmth of God’s love to fill every home during the festive season.