Help Us Stamp out Boko Haram, Northern Govs Urge Past Leaders

Governors of the 19 northern states have pleaded for the assistance of past leaders in a bid to come up with solutions aimed at ending the spate of insurgency that has virtually paralysed economic activities in some parts of the region. The governors’ plea was conveyed yesterday through the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) chairman, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, at the maiden convocation of the Ibrahim Badamasi University (IBBU) in Lapai, Niger State. Dr. Aliyu had during the event urged General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was also present at the convocation ceremony, to liaise with his colleagues to bring an end to the helpless situation the region has found itself in. "I appeal to General Abdulsalami to invite General Yakubu Gowon, General Theophilus Danjuma, Shehu Shagari and General Babangida to come together and help us
bring sanity to our region," he pleaded. "We are inviting you because of your wealth of knowledge and experience. We need you to help us with the political will to help us fight this battle." The Niger State governor challenged the former governors to use their wisdom to assist the Federal Government win the war against terrorism. "We also need you to assist the Federal Government and make sure we fight the insurgents and defeat them within three months,” he added. “We believe that with your wealth of wisdom and military training it is possible." He also said that the insurgents must be stopped as a result of the bad image their activities had given the country. "Please sir, do it to save Nigeria and do it very soon. We are aware of this security challenges that has given us a bad name and image to the extent that Nigerians are being killed abroad because they feel we kill ourselves and nothing is done." The northern governors’ plea came weeks after they had promised to stamp out all the elements of Boko Haram terror group within a period of three months. Gov. Aliyu had, in an address during a joint northern States Governors/United States Investors Summit in Abuja, debunked the insinuations from some quarters that the northern leaders had failed to openly condemn the terrorist activities of the sect. “We have indeed worked subtly to see the end of the insurgents,” he said. He had also credited the offer of support from the US to rescue the abducted Chibok school girls to the meeting the northern governors held with the American government. The group, he had also said, was happy with the offer of help from not only the US, but also from the UK, France, China and Canada, among others. “The 19 governors that make up this forum will continue to condemn the invasion of the north and we are happy with the Federal Government.”