*North-west Caucus Urges FG to Intensify efforts in addressing security challenges in region
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the socio-cultural organisation of the 19 northern states, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the North West Development Commission (NWDC) Bill into law.
This was as the North-west Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on President Tinubu to intensify efforts in addressing the security challenges prevalent in the region.
Tinubu had on Tuesday assented to the Bill sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, to accelerate development in the North-west geopolitical zone, comprising Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The North-West Development Commission was set up to facilitate the reconstruction of roads, houses, and business premises destroyed by multidimensional crises and tackle poverty, literacy level, ecological problems, and any other related environmental or development challenges in North-west states.
The National Publicity Secretary, ACF, Professor T. A. Muhammad-Baba in a statement yesterday, said the establishment of the commission would address the challenges facing the geopolitical zone.
Part of the statement read: “ACF extends warm appreciation and gratitude to the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for signing the bill into law.
“The Deputy President of the 10th Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin – the sponsor of the bill and all who contributed to enacting the law also deserve our gratitude.
” It is no exaggeration to say that the seven states comprising this region, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, have been developmentally challenged.
” With an estimated total population of 49 million (or 28 per cent of Nigeria’s total), 45.5 million (93% per cent) remain in a state of multidimensional poverty, with an intensity ratio of 42.7 per cent, as of 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
“Thus, the Northwest remains at the bottom of all Nigeria’s developmental indices and living conditions.
“The region that continues to be devastated by insecurity, banditry and associated challenges, and indeed forming the ground zero of insecurity and terrorism, remains to be said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the new law will utilise the resources allocated to the Commission to make a visible impact on the lives of the people.
“All hands must be on deck to see to it that the teeming and largely agrarian people of this area will have the dark clouds of underdevelopment removed from their environment in its totality. Once again, thanks, Mr. President, and all who ensured this law sees the light of day. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” ACF stated.
Meanwhile, the North-west Caucus of the House of Representatives has noted that a broader security sector reform will enable people to return to their normal lives, leading to positive changes in economic development and social order.
The leader of the caucus, Hon. Sada Soli, while addressing a press conference on behalf of the caucus yesterday in Abuja, lamented that the sporadic attacks have since escalated into a multidimensional crisis that has hampered agricultural activities and trade.
The caucus noted that it has also turned some of the most industrious and thriving communities in the North West geopolitical zone into ghost towns as people flee their homes and become refugees.
This, the caucus said, has manifestly impacted on the famous cross-border trade and flourishing agrobusiness between the geopolitical zone and neighboring countries.
It stressed that most of their border constituencies, which were historically vibrant commercial centres, with massive large-scale farmers exporting produce to various parts of Africa, including Niger Republic, Mali, and Benin Republic, have since been abandoned by farmers, importers and exporters, due to this wanton violence.
It noted that as a result, Internally Generated Revenues in these states have been negatively affected.
The caucus said: “We must, however, appeal to the President to intensify efforts in addressing the security challenges still prevalent in the geopolitical zone particularly, and other parts of the country at large.
“A broader security sector reform will enable our people to return to their normal lives, leading to positive changes in economic development and social order.”
The caucus commended the President for the signing of the North-West Development Commission establishment Bill into law.
