Poor governance, according to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has a “direct bearing” on the recent spate of banditry and kidnapping in the north-west geopolitical zone.
Shettima made the remarks while hosting the Coalition of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA).
The coalition, which was led by its president, Dalhatu Abubakar held at the presidential villa on Wednesday.
Shettima stated that “re-engineering and re-strategizing” northern affairs is required to catapult the region into “accelerated” development.
While the north-west is made up of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.
Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto, in particular, have been hotbeds of banditry, resulting in abductions and killings of residents in recent times.
Shettima said stakeholders in the entire north “have to go back to the drawing board. He tasked them to re-assess the state of affairs in the region. And also come up with robust platforms of re-engineering our society”.
He said:
“It is imperative for the north to embark on the re-strategising and re-engineering of the region to reposition it for accelerated development,”
“Most of the issues highlighted by the president of CONSCCIMA are very poignant as these are issues that touch the lives and wellbeing of our people.
“There can never be development without peace and there can never be peace without development.
“Especially in the north-west through the Pulaku initiative. The Pulaku initiative is a robust solution towards addressing the challenges in the north-west.
“It is a solution aimed at addressing the challenges of banditry, kidnapping and the situation in the north-west which cannot be divorced from the issue of governance.
“Poor governance has a direct bearing on what we are harvesting in the north-west.”
The vice-president praised CONSCCIMA for its dedication to northern development through various industrial projects. He noted that any society seeking economic development must cultivate peace and stability.
In his remarks, Abubakar stated that the coalition is ready to work with the FG to revitalise the north’s economy.
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