Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has reaffirmed its commitment to national unity, peaceful coexistence and the rights of all Nigerians to reside and own properties in any part of the country as guaranteed by Nigerian Constitution.
NSGF also reassured Nigerians residing in the North of their readiness to protect lives and properties and also called on their counterparts in the Southern region to emulate same.
The Chairman of the forum, Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima stated this while reading a communiqué at the end of the NSGF’s meeting which held in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria.
According to his representative, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, “proponents and champions of restructuring the Nation are advised to respect the law of the land and pursue their objective within the confines of the Constitution, he lamented”.
While speaking on security, he said the forum condemns in strong terms the recent attacks on NNPC staff, security personnel and staff of the University of Maiduguri which resulted in the suspension of oil exploration activities in the Chad Basin.
The Governor stated that clashes between farmers and cattle rearers is worsened by the infiltration of criminal elements from outside the region who pose as Fulani herdsmen and deliberately engage farmers in deadly conflict to create disunity and crisis in the region.
“The forum therefore discourages ethicizing the deadly conflicts and crimes with Fulani tribe as any tribe could be cattle rearers too”, he emphasised.
He said the free movement of persons, goods and services within the West African sub-region as ratified by ECOWAS Convention should be subjected to the laws of individual member States in order to check cross border crimes especially cattle rustling.