The Northern Elders Forum (NEF)
has declared that the return of the presidency to the North by 2015 remains a
basis of justice, fair play and an opportunity to address the myriad of
problems facing the country.
The forum equally accused
northern state governors of being responsible for the woes and predicament the
region is experiencing.
It declared that until the
governors rise in unison to protect the collective interests and not their
personal ego, the region would continue to face critical challenges that will
continue to short-change the people.
Veteran politician and former
Minister of Agriculture, and later Environment, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, who
spoke on behalf of the Forum in a television and radio programme in Kaduna at
the weekend, said the region is in a mess as a result of the actions of its
governors.
He said: “The governors know
that they are not with the people of the North, but with only themselves; they
are in one place and the people of the North are in a different place.
“They are not with the people
and the people are not with them. The governors are not interested in anything
that is safeguarding the collective interests of our people, but their own
interest. They are afraid to come out and truly represent the wishes of the
North.”
On whether the elders’ forum
has made an effort to approach the governors, Zangon Daura said the leader of
the forum, who is a former Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United
Nations, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, had met with the Chairman of the Northern
State Governors Forum, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state, but ended up
with securing mere promises.
He said, “They don’t want to
see us, so that we don’t tell them the hard truth. After this failed, only one
of them agreed to meet with us and that was Governor Murtala Nyako. And later
Sule Lamido met with our leader that we should still meet altogether and not at
individual level.
“They don’t want us to talk.
But if these governors are sincere, things will certainly change. If they stand
with the people, they will regain their respect.”
Source: Blueprint
No comments:
Post a Comment