The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has held a two-day retreat at the Yankari Games Reserve in Bauchi, Bauchi state, over rising insecurity being experienced in different parts of the country.
The annual retreat, which commenced on Friday, August 12, had the national and state executives of the CNG and executives of its students’ wing from the 19 northern states in attendance.
According to a communiqué made available to Blueprint in Abuja by CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, deliberations at the retreat concentrated on five major issues, including “pervasive insecurity exacerbated by weak response, rising poverty, defence corruption, looming humanitarian crises, 2023 elections, University workers’ strike, IPOB and UN interference and structural reforms”.
According to the communique, all resolutions taken were adopted and ratified by the Congress same date.
“The retreat noted the largely unchecked escalating security situation that is crippling the Northern Nigerian economic and educational viability leaving thousands dead, millions displaced and thousands dispossessed.
“We also noted that the rise in crime and violence in the North are associated with the disabling level of poverty, weak, inefficient, ineffective and insufficient government response, absence of political will and capacity in addition to defence corruption.
“The retreat noted with concern the inevitability of the setting in of serious humanitarian crises that potentially threatens not only the North, or Nigeria, but the entire Sub-Saharan Africa.”
