Days after the Nigerian Army mistakenly bombed Tudun Biri community in Kaduna State with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle which caused deaths and injuries, the 19 Northern State governors converged in Kaduna, where they unanimously sought justice for the survivors and punishment for those found culpable in the act.
The governors, after a meeting at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna under the leadership of the Governor of Gombe State, reiterated the need for a comprehensive investigation of the twin attack that killed people in Tudun Biri.
The host and governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, expressed delight in welcoming his colleagues to the inaugural meeting of the Northern Governors Forum.
He said, “I thank you all for your individual and collective condolence messages on the loss of our citizens in the unfortunate Tudun Biri military drone attack. The Northern Governors Forum was established based on the fact that, beyond the pursuit of a pan-Nigeria ideal, regional unity is a strategic agenda that should be pursued.
“The forum was put together with the strong belief that a forum that promotes the values of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity is critical to the search for sustainable solutions to the region’s development challenges.
“Diversity and ethno-religious unity remain the foundation for the advancement of the ideals of regional peace, security, and development in the North. Northern Governors must work together towards empowering the people as key production forces for the growth of the North. This requires deliberate policy designs and implementation in ways that recognize the critical role of leadership in leading such initiatives.”
“Regionalism, in the context of what the North represents, is an expression that is embedded in shared identity and purpose, anchored on the principle of mutual respect and cooperation between and among states.
The people of the North, regardless of political, ethnic, and religious inclinations, are one people with a shared destiny that is not driven by any short-term consideration.”
“Our region has been grappling with challenges of insecurity. Our human development indices have been declining. For the Northern Governors Forum to remain relevant, we must forge unity among our people and collaborate on issues of development. We must fashion a Marshall Plan for the development of the North. Our situation is dire and requires concerted and sustained action.”
“The vision for the design of a strategic agenda for the development of the north should be anchored on a core ideal that puts the people at the centre of our aspiration and drive. This is simply because the mandate we got to lead emanated from the people.”
“We must develop a common strategy and operational plan to tackle insecurity. We must establish a Command and Control Center to coordinate our joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements in our region.”
“This effort at charting a new course for our region will come to nothing if we fail to provide strong leadership. We must therefore effectively mobilize our people around this common agenda, create the enabling environment, leverage the human and material resources of the region, deliver on our promises to the people, and at all times put the welfare of the people at the centre of our development agenda for the Northern Region,” he said.
A communiqué was expected at the end of the deliberation.
