The Governors of the 19 Northern States on Monday, May 18, 2015 elected Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State as the chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governor’s Forum.
According to reports, the new chairman was elected to replace the outgoing chairman of the forum, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, whose tenure ends in May 2015 at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
Also elected is Kano State Governor-elect, Abdullahi Ganduje as vice chairman of the forum.
Part of the new regime’s agenda is to broker peace in the ongoing crisis within the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), by uniting the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi led NGF and the Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang led NGF.
Governor Aliyu while speaking after the closed-door meeting, said that the northern governors were determined to act as mediators for the unity of governors across party lines for national development. He said; “The goal is to mediate and unite the Nigeria Governors Forum, that has been fragmented in the past few years.”
He also revealed that part of the agenda was to tackle the continous Boko Haram insurgency targeted at the North, solve problems of poverty, unemployment and marginalisation. Adding that the forum in conjunction with the office of the Vice President, Namadi Sambo were working together for the revival of New Nigeria Company in Kaduna State.
Governor Shettima in his acceptance speech gave the assurance that the forum under his leadership would unite to completely wipe out the Boko Haram menace while also promising to work hand in hand with his colleagues irrespective of tribal, reigious, ethnic or political affiliations.
