Northern Governors and traditional rulers in the region met in Kaduna on Thursday to take common position on the agitation for restructuring of the country.
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, who is the Chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum, said the region is not afraid of restructuring and its position on the issue would be in the best interest of the region.
Shettima, whose address was delivered by Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, assured that the consensus position of the region would attract popular acceptance.
He also said the meeting would discuss farmers/herdsmen conflict and come up with ways to tackle the problem devoid of parochial sentiments.
He said: “We, the political and traditional leaders of Northern Nigeria, are gathered here today against the backdrop of certain developments in Nigeria’s political landscape that we can only ignore to the detriment of the well- being of our people and the development of our region.
“We have witnessed in the last few months, all manner of political agitations, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.
”It is also expected at the end of this meeting of the Forum and our esteemed royal fathers we will adopt a consensus position.
“It is of vital importance to arrive at such consensus position because it is crucial to dispel the erroneous impression created and disseminated by certain interests in this country that the North is opposed to restructuring.
“It is important to do so, not only to accommodate the mainstream of Northern public opinion, our primary constituency, but also counter the specific versions of restructuring which generally seek to place the North in a position of strategic political and economic disadvantage, but portrayed as the only versions that can work for the nation.’’
The chairman also spoke on agitation for the creation of Biafra, saying that it was unacceptable for groups such as the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) to resort to incitement under the guise of exercising right to free speech.
“The exercise of such rights outside the confines of responsibility is not acceptable,” he said, adding that incitement to violence by such organizations “must be unconditionally condemned as they are inimical to national unity, stability, peaceful coexistence and national security.’’ – NAN.
