Ezekiel Awojide
The Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Chairmen of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council have reaffirmed their commitment to tackling insecurity.
According to them, they plan to achieve this through enhanced collaboration, localised initiatives, and the establishment of state police.
This was part of the resolutions outlined in a communiqué issued at the end of their joint meeting held on Saturday at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, was attended by governors and traditional rulers from all 19 Northern states.
Discussions focused extensively on regional security and development.
The forum commended President Bola Tinubu for his ongoing efforts to address security challenges and bridge infrastructural gaps in Northern Nigeria.
It, however, stressed the need for stronger local and regional support to complement federal security forces.
As part of the resolutions, the forum agreed to collaborate with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to develop strategies for boosting support to security agencies operating in the region.
In a significant move, the governors and traditional rulers resolved to reinforce homegrown security initiatives tailored to the unique challenges facing individual states.
They also agreed to establish inter-state platforms for coordinated surveillance and intelligence sharing, particularly along shared borders.
Reiterating its support for the creation of state police as a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security issues, the forum called on the National Assembly to expedite the legislative process necessary for its implementation.
The communiqué emphasised the importance of non-partisan cooperation, collaboration, and peer review among Northern leaders to effectively address the region’s pressing developmental challenges.
The next meeting of the forum is scheduled to take place on August 30.
