Northern govs elect Shettima as new chairman

The governors of the 19 northern states under the aegis of the
Northern Governors’ Forum, on Monday, elected the Borno
State Governor, Kashim Shettima, as the group’s new
chairman.
Shettima replaces the outgoing Governor of Niger State, Aliyu
Babangida, whose tenure ends this month.
The Kano State governor-elect, Abdullahi Ganduje, also
emerged as the vice chairman of the forum.
This decision was reached at the end of a meeting of the
Northern Governors’ Forum held at the Niger State Governor’s
Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
The forum also agreed to intervene in the lingering crisis in
the Nigerian Governors’ Forum by uniting the Governor Rotimi
Amaechi-led NGF and the one led by Plateau State Governor,
Jonah Jang.
Speaking after the closed door meeting, Aliyu said the
northern governors were determined to mediate in order to
unite governors across party lines for the development of the
nation.
Aliyu said, “The goal is to mediate and unite the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum that has been fragmented in the past few
years.”
He explained that the northern governors resolved among
other things, to address the Boko Haram insurgency in the
North, tackle the problems of poverty, marginalisation and
unemployment.
Aliyu also disclosed that the forum was also working with the
office of the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, to revive some
companies in the North.
In his acceptance speech, Shettima assured northerners that
under his leadership, the governors would unite against the
war against the Boko Haram sect.
He also promised to work together with his colleagues
irrespective of religious, ethnic or political affiliation, to
confront the challenges confronting the North.
Those who attended the meeting include Governors Ibrahim
Dakwambo, Gombe; Bala Ngilari, Adamawa; Muktar Yero,
Kaduna; Aliyu Babangida, Niger; Gabriel Suswam, Benue;
Ahmed Abdulfatah, Kwara; Shettim a, Borno; Abdul’aziz Yari,
Zamfara; and Isa Yuguda, Bauchi.
The governors-elect of Kano and Kogi states also attended
the meeting.
The new leadership is to be inaugurated either in June or
July, with all former governors of northern extraction expected
to be in attendance.