Chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on Saturday, said that Northern leaders must walk the talk if they truly want to address the common issues confronting the region and bring it back to the forefront as envisioned by the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
The Governor stated this during the annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture held in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He emphasized the need to revisit the principles of the Sardauna era, address the disconnect between the government and the people, and seek practical solutions to the challenges faced by Northern Nigeria decisively with unity, determination, and effective governance.
While outlining the Northern Governors’ strategic roadmap for addressing the root causes of underdevelopment in the region, Inuwa Yahaya emphasized the role of good governance as a potent antidote to security challenges.
According to him, “Under my leadership, and with the support of my colleagues, the Northern States Governors Forum is coming up with a strategic roadmap towards addressing the root causes of under-development in our region.
“We believe that only through good governance, unity, and a shared commitment to progress that we can overcome the security challenges affecting us”.
The Governor stressed the importance of prioritizing citizens’ well-being through access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, underlining the principles of equity, fairness, justice, and inclusivity.
While reflecting on Sir Ahmadu Bello’s legacy, the Governor posed a critical question to the leaders of Northern Nigeria, asking: “What would Sir Ahmadu Bello have done in response to the current security challenges?”
He asserted that the late statesman would have responded decisively with unity, determination, and effective governance.
“As leaders of northern Nigeria, we must ask ourselves what would Sir Ahmadu Bello have done if he were alive? How would he have responded to the current security challenges bedeviling northern Nigeria?
“I would say, without any fear of doubt, that the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, like the true statesman that he was, would have responded decisively with a sense of unity, determination, and effective governance.”
He stressed the importance of drawing inspiration from the Sardauna era in addressing contemporary challenges, particularly the prevalent insecurity, including cattle rustling, kidnapping, and banditry.
The Governor advocated collaborative efforts across state lines, encouraging partnerships, intelligence sharing, and resource collaboration to combat criminal elements threatening peace and stability.
Acknowledging the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation’s role in preserving the late premier’s legacies, Governor Inuwa Yahaya expressed commitment to supporting and strengthening the foundation.
He urged participants to reflect on the ideals of Sir Ahmadu Bello and recommit themselves to the principles cherished by the founding fathers, expressing the hope that his legacy would continue to inspire the building of a northern region and Nigeria that reflects the dreams of the nation’s founders.
While presenting his remarks, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his leadership in Gombe and encouraged him to lead a peer review among his colleagues to learn from his visionary approach.
The former Niger State Governor expressed admiration for the strides reported in Gombe, as frequently highlighted in the media, urging other Northern leaders to borrow a leaf from the NSGF Chairman.
The Vice President of Nigeria, Sen. Kashim Shettima, was represented by the Special Adviser to the President, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed.
The guest lecturer, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Tijjani Bande, emphasized the values of planning, team building, and addressing challenges. His lecture focused on rebuilding trust, peace-building, provision of quality education, modernizing agriculture, poverty eradication, infrastructure development, rebuilding the civil service, and creating media for public enlightenment.
Other speakers, including the host Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, emphasized the suitability and timeliness of the theme: Creating Pathways for Peace: Tackling Banditry and Insecurity through Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Nigeria as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General, (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe.
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