The Northern Governors Forum, NGF, has called on the Federal Government to review the ECOWAS protocol, just as the forum set up of a committee to curtail the menace of insecurity in the country.
The forum’s Chairman and Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, in a statement on Friday after a teleconferencing meeting held Thursday, disclosed that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State had been appointed to head the committee while governors of Zamfara and Gombe state are members.
According to the statement signed by Mr Lalong’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in tackling insecurity.
The norther governors, however, called for increased synergy which will further enhance their operations in putting an end to the activities of bandits, insurgents, kidnappers and other criminal activities.
While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts to deal with the security situation in the country and the region, the forum agreed to adopt dialogue where necessary while pursuing military measures in dealing with the various security challenges in the region.
He further stated that a standing Committee on security in the North was set in order to foster synergy between security agencies in the enforcement of security measures in the region.
Mr Lalong said the meeting also set up another consultative committee, headed by himself to carryout consultation with traditional, religious and community leaders in the North with a view to ensuring that there is wider involvement in tackling insecurity in the region.
The Committee, he said, has governors of Adamawa, Niger, and Sokoto as members.
According to him, the governors had agreed to engage local vigilantes, hunters, and community watch groups in the security architecture of the region in order to foster intelligence gathering, rapid response and sustained surveillance.
The Forum sympathized with victims of the various attacks and other forms of criminality in the region, appealing for calm by groups and those affected.
It assured that both the Forum, State Governments and the Federal Government are working together to ensure that ugly situation is brought under control, as well as addressing the humanitarian needs of the victims.
It also urged the Federal Government to accelerate the “Livestock Transformation Plan which will assist in creating jobs among farmers and herders in the region and the country at large.”
