SAFAR 21 1431 A.H.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2010.
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Mr. President: Northern govs issue stand...Condemn Jos crisis
From MUSTAPHA SAYE& SALISU MARAFA, Kaduna
THE Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) have appreciated the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1999] in relation to the office of the President and Vice President.
Similarly, it has associated itself with recent judgment of the courts on same case just as it also agreed that the position of acting could be either verbal or written.
This was part of the resolution by the NGF meeting held yesterday at the Council Chamber of Sir, Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna, in which it called on all arms of government to continue to give full and total support to the Acting President until President Yar'adua returns.
The resolution which was signed by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Chief Servant of Niger state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu noted with grave concern the prevalent security challenges in the Northern region particularly the series of sectarian crises in Jos, Plateau state which it condemned in strongest terms.
The Forum established that the crisis was more political than religious and reiterated the need for sustained and deliberated campaign to abrogate settler/non-indigene syndrome in the overall interest of peace in the country and strictly abide by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on citizenship.
The NGF called for the strengthening of security apparatus by way of proactive and pre-emptive measures toward securing the lives and property of the people as fundamental constitutional responsibilities and to forestall future occurrence of such crisis in the country.
The governors acknowledged the concern and actions being taken by federal government as well as Plateau state government to nib the crisis in the bud in the interest of peaceful co-existence and development of the country.
It, however, called on the federal government to direct the implementation of the recommendations of the various investigative panels on the recurring crisis in the Plateau including the recommendations of the committee of eminent citizens co-chaired by Chief Solomon Lar and Alhaji Yahaya Kwande.
Meanwhile, the forum has condemned the wrong information being dished out by some newspapers that Bauchi state House of Assembly has passed a resolution on the repatriation of Plateau state indigenes from Bauchi which calls for investigative and responsive journalism.
The Forum also agreed to solicit the assistance for the victims of the crisis.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief Servant of Niger state, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu had expressed the determination of the NGF to serve its people diligently, transparently and accountably.
