By Samuel Ogidan
Abuja
Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, yesterday emerged the new Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), with Kano state governor- elect, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as his deputy.
Shettima takes over from Babangida Aliyu, who had been the chairman for about eight years.
The new leadership would be inaugurated June or July with all former governors of Northern extraction in attendance.
NSGF, which is the umbrella body of all elected governors from the North has also vowed to put an end to the lingering crisis in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) that had been factionalise for sometimes now.
They agreed to bring together the two factions to form one indivisible and united body.
Speaking after the meeting of the Northern Governors held at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Chairman of the Forum and Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said that the move to mediate and unite all the governors would among others, help rebuild the body for a better Nigeria.
According to him, “the goal is to mediate and unite the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF that has been fragmented in the past few years.”
Governor Aliyu who disclosed that the Northern governors have resolved to address the Boko Haram insurgency in the North, however promised that it would soon come to an end.
The governors also agreed to solve the problems of poverty, marginalization, unemployment in the North, adding that with the office of Vice President, Namadi Sambo, the Northern governors have concluded arrangements to revive the long rested New Nigeria Company in Kaduna.
In his acceptance speech, Shettima who assured them that the governors would unite to fight Boko Haram, however promised that with the new leadership, the body will be one family to confront the challenges of the north irrespective of religious.
Present at the meeting were governors of Gombe; Adamawa; Kaduna; Niger; Benue; Kwara; Borno; Zamfara; Bauchi; Kebbi; Kano Governor- elect, and Kogi State deputy governor.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) made up of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and the All Progressives Congress (APC) also met yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja to resolve their differences.
It would be recalled that after the election of the NGF, where Rivers state governor, Rotimi Ameachi defeated Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang with 19 votes against 16 votes, the forum since then has been factionalised.
