The Northwest Governors Forum met in Kaduna yesterday saying that they have taken measures to stop the wanton killings and destructions in the zone.
Speaking on behalf of the governors, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, stated that, the meeting was essentially to integrate the zone into one viable economic entity.
He said after a marathon meeting, the governors resolved to look at three key areas, economic development, agriculture, and education.
According to him, “We have taken into account that these three areas are very key to the integration of the zone. And each of the Northwest governor is very passionate about it.”
Masari added that, “if you tackle education squarely, the spate of killings in the zone and other zones will end.”
He observed that the governors have taken measures to end the incessant killings in the zone, saying, part of the measure is to strengthen their borders in order to checkmate the influx of criminals.
Masari also said agriculture is another area that, the governors felt will lead to economic growth, noting, the zone has massive vast land that are still untapped.
“We are looking at it to see how we will engage thousands of our youths that are rooming the stress without jobs.”
Earlier, Masari had expressed disappointment with the absence some of his colleagues at the meeting on the security of the sub region.
Masari, who is equally the chairman of the security committee inaugurated by the Northern Governors’ Forum, asked his colleagues to separate politics from the issue of security.
“The issue of security is more important than politics as it affects life,” Masari said at the opening of the meeting which later went into a closed-door session.
He said it was important to evolve ways of sustaining attendance not only by the governors, but also their deputies and SSGs.
The meeting was attended by the deputy governors of Sokoto, Jigawa and Kaduna states and secretaries to the state government of two states, and that of Katsina.
He said it was important to find ways of sustaining attendance not only by the governors, but also their deputies and SSGs.
“It will not however hinder the discussions or delay the meeting; we must devise means of continuing with the meeting even when the governors are not in attendance.”
He added: “Before we leave, we should have a programme that we can brief our governors, we should not allow this laudable initiative rely only on the availability of governors.”
