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                                                        Friday, 8th May, 2009

DESPITE ECONOMIC CRISIS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ERADICATION OF POVERTY CHAIRMAN, NGF

The Chief Servant and Chairman Northern States Governors’ Forum, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has disclosed that in spite of the global economic crisis, the Forum has reiterated its collective resolve to ensure that the region comes out of the doldrums of abject povery.

 
Governor Aliyu stated this in a communiqué read at the end of the meeting of the Northern Governors’ Forum, (NGF), held at the Hassan Usman Katsina House, Kaduna, recently.

He said the Governors resolved to strengthen the relationship with one another through exchange of visits and sharing of ideas that will ensure genuine rebirth of the north and sustain the confidence of her people.

Dr. Aliyu revealed that the Forum in its quest to achieve its objectives, also resolved to promote agriculture through the establishment of farming skill acquisition centres to teach the youths modern farming techniques as well as to make available farm inputs, markets, warehouses and easy access to credit facilities to the farmers. To this end, the Chairman, added that the Forum has directed that all the Commissioners of Agriculture in the 19 Northern States should meet in Jigawa to look into matters of urgent importance to the development of agriculture in the region.

The Chief Servant also said that the Forum accepted the report on the New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) and immediately constituted a white paper committee charged with focusing its report on medium and long term plans. He added that the forum resolved to include the Bureau of Public Enterprises in the privatization exercises of the New Nigerian Newspapers, while Commissioners of Finance in the region are to meet with the management of the Unity Bank PLC towards the successful divestment of the Bank.

Governor Aliyu further said that the Forum expressed its concern on desert encroachment in the region and agreed to hold a summit at a later date in order to profer and adopt critical measures in line with international best practices. He said the relevance of civil service as the engine room of development was discussed and that Heads of Service of the Northern States have been directed to fashion out ways of intensive capacity building, training needs and restoration of core values in the system.

Other issues examined by the Forum include counterpart funding and its attendant benefits to the execution of development projects. It also resolved that each state should set up a committee to look at the land reforms bill. The Forum was also addressed by the Northern Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as a briefing by the Managing Director, Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange PLC.

All the 19 Northern States were present at the meeting.


Bala Ibrahim Abdulkadir,

Director General