From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and leaders of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday, disagreed over the performance of President Bola Tinubu.
In separate interventions at a two-day interactive session on Government-citizens’ Engagement Organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) at the Arewa House in Kaduna, Chairman of NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, said the North’s partnership with Tinubu’s administration has yielded concrete results, from infrastructure to security to governance and assertion the ACF vehemently disagreed with. Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, chairman of the ACF Board, listed several areas of concern, including insecurity, agriculture, transportation infrastructure, electricity power supply, education, healthcare and oil exploration.
The theme of the programme was ‘Assessing electoral promises: Fostering government-citizens’ engagement for national unity.’
According to Governor Yahaya, true democracy and good governance are not a one-way street, but a continuous dialogue between leaders and citizens.
“Forums like this are crucial to building public trust and strengthening citizens’ participation in governance.
“They are not just meant to showcase achievements, but to create spaces where citizens can question, suggest, and hold power accountable.
“As leaders, we must have the humility to accept our mistakes where we err, and make adjustments where possible, based on the needs and feedback of the people.
“As we review engagements with representatives of the Federal Government, let us do so with fairness and wisdom. ”In 2027, we must reward performance and hard work, and by that measure, President Tinubu has earned our continued support.”
He recalled that when Tinubu stood before them during the 2023 campaign, he made specific commitments to Northern Nigeria. “The North, believing in President’s Tinubu’s vision, voted strongly for him, contributing to over 60 percent of Tinubu’s winning votes.
“Today, we gather not for empty rhetoric, but to examine those promises and assess the level of progress so far. What we find is an administration that has delivered meaningful results for our region despite facing significant national challenges.”
According to him, this shows that democracy can only work when leaders deliver on their promises. And leaders can only deliver when citizens are engaged, and policies and programmes are designed and implemented in ways that reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry.
“I make bold to say that the evidence of progress is visible across our region.
“Thanks to Mr President’s renewed hope agenda, many projects started by the previous administration are now racing towards completion.
“These include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line, the rehabilitation of the Kaduna Refinery, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, and continuation of drilling activities in Kolmani Oilfields. These projects promise to bring industrial growth and energy security to Northern Nigeria.”
According to Yahaya, new infrastructure projects are also coming up, including various inter-state road networks like the ambitious Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway that will connect Northern producers to southern markets.
Others are agriculture value chain initiatives targeting Northern states, expansion and upgrade of healthcare facilities all point to a deliberate policy towards uplifting the wellbeing of our people.
“On the security front, we have witnessed significant progress.
“Through coordinated military operations and improved intelligence gathering, over 300 bandit kingpins and terrorist commanders have been eliminated, disrupting criminal networks that terrorized our communities.
“While challenges remain, the trajectory is clear – the siege on our people is being lifted.
“The creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development addresses a generations-old challenge, providing a framework to modernize our pastoral economy.
“This administration has also demonstrated commitment to our youth through targeted grants and renewed efforts to tackle the Almajiri and out-of-school children crisis through partnerships with state governments, traditional institutions and international partners.
Yahaya said there was no doubt that the economic reforms undertaken by Tinubu’s administration, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate floatation, have come with debilitating side effects.
“However, these were necessary measures in order to stabilise our economy for long-term growth. The pain is real, but so is the progress.” Yahaya said that to sustain and build on these gains, all Northern stakeholders must play their part, adding, “our state governments must complement federal initiatives with local investments in infrastructure and human capital development.
“Traditional rulers and religious leaders should continue their vital role in community mobilization and conflict resolution.
“Business leaders and civil society must maintain their constructive engagement.
“Our region’s decisive support for this administration was rooted in the understanding that the North-South West alliance is not merely political arithmetic, but a stabilizing force for national unity.”
Regardless of the achievement reeled out by Governor Yahaya, Alhaji Dalhatu, Chairman of the ACF Board, amplified the cries of marginalisation against the administration, listing several areas of concern, including insecurity, agriculture, transportation infrastructure, electricity power supply, education, healthcare, and oil exploration.
The ACF has been critical of President Tinubu’s administration, citing a lack of inclusivity and a failure to address the region’s specific needs.
On insecurity, Dalhatu noted that the North is facing unprecedented levels of violence, with insurgent groups multiplying and attacks becoming more deadly.
He also expressed concern about the Federal Government’s allocation to agriculture, which remains below 5 percent of the total budget, far short of the 25 percent target set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Other areas of concern include the development of transportation infrastructure, electricity power supply, education, and healthcare.
Dalhatu called on the president to demonstrate a commitment to addressing the region’s challenges, including by increasing funding for critical sectors and implementing policies that promote economic development.
“It has to be stated, and I hope this is self-evident, that Northern Nigeria has related to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with enthusiasm, accommodation and good will. Northerners went out en masse on the 25th of February, 2023, and cast their ballots for Bola Tinubu. In the event, 5.6 million out of the total 8.8 million votes he got (or 64 percent), came from the North.
“And yet, two years into the four-year tenure of President Tinubu, the feeling among the people of the North is, to put it mildly, completely mixed. To our surprise, those who did not support him, did not vote for him and hardly wished him well, have emerged from nowhere and are trying to push a wedge between him and the North.
‘Whether or not they are succeeding, we do not know. But we can not pretend not to observe that President Tinubu’s budget priorities, his infrastructural projects, his appointments and other executive actions, have, over the last two years, largely sidelined Northern Nigeria.
“As far as we can see, nothing or little is being done to address the major issues of concern to the North, details of which were presented to him in writing by various groups over the years.
“Mr. Chairman, due to the critical importance of this subject matter and for the benefit of our distinguished guests from Abuja, I wish to seek your indulgence to take a few moments in order to mention a few of these issues we have raised repeatedly with Mr. President over the course of our interactions.
“Insecurity: As to be expected, our biggest concern was and remains insecurity in Northern Nigeria. We stressed the fact that over the last decade, widespread violence, characterised by massacres, bombings, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other manifestations of conflict and insecurity has swept across Northern Nigeria, crippling almost all productive economic activities, to say nothing of social progress.
“Even as we speak, this crisis shows no signs of abating. The insurgent groups continue to multiply, their attacks becoming more deadly. With the possible exception of Kaduna and Bauchi states, the terror level everywhere in the North has continued to rise with each passing day.
“Unless the government takes decisive, strong, audacious and sustained measures, including the ones that address its root causes, particularly joblessness among the youth and deepening poverty, the insecurity crisis in Northern Nigeria can hardly ever be contained,” Dalhatu said.
