Northern Govs, Leaders Okay Social Media Regulation, Police Reforms
Demand enhanced security watch over FCT
Set up 2 Committees on royal fathers’ roles, youth/security,
BY VICTOR BUORO – Support for regulated social media in Nigeria heightened on Monday as the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) threw its weight behind growing campaigns for key measures to curb the challenging spread of fake and harmful news in the country.
Noting with seriousness the adverse and devastating effects of an uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news, the Governors endorsed efforts at introducing some control mechanisms and censorship for social media practice in Nigeria.
Similarly, the governors are game backing police reforms to strengthen their capacity for effective service delivery in line with demands by #EndSARS Campaigners.
Rising from its meeting in Kaduna with traditional rulers, key leaders and other major stakeholders in the three geo-political zones of the region, the Governors appreciated “the major reforms going on in the Police Force and pledges to support Mr President on this course.”
In a communique signed by its Chairman and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, the Forum further said; “The meeting resolves to support the Nigerian Police Force to serve the country better and calls for the strengthening of trust between the people and the Police.”
Also moving to check youth restiveness in the region, the Forum endorsed the creation of two committees to push for statutory roles for traditional rulers and engagement with youths and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on security, development and peace in northern Nigeria.
For its Committee on Statutory Roles of Traditional Rulers, the Emir of Lafia, Sidi Bage is the Chairman, with two representatives from the National Assembly (NASS); a representative from each of the three (3) zones; and one from Federal Executive Council (FEC) as members.
The Committee on Youth and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmad Bamalli, as Chairman. To serve as members are representatives of the elders, youths, women/girls and persons with disability from each of the three zones.
Other members of the Committee include representatives of Muslim and Christian clerics, the business community and the Nigeria Police Force
Explaining that the engagement committees will “commence work immediately”, the Forum lauded the traditional rulers for their roles in containing the #EndSARS protests within the region.
The communique also conveyed the Forum’s consensus agreement on traditional rulers being given formal roles in the nation’s governance structure.
In rejecting and condemning the subversive actions of some #EndSARS protesters and suspected hoodlums, the Forum expressed its unwavering faith in “the indivisibility, indissolubility and oneness of the nation.”
It regretted that; “The superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot Box soon take advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their separative agenda.”
While praising the National Assembly (NASS) and the Presidency for the proactive nature in handling demands made #EndSARS protesters, the governors also sought an amicable and quick resolution of the Federal Government and ASUU face-off to enable students resume their studies immediately.
Going forward, it was also agreed the Forum will be holding regular meetings while also expanding it to include many critical stakeholders such as religious leaders, the business community and youths leaders across states in the region.
Aside appreciating the youths’ efforts at curtailing the spread of hooliganism, thuggery and other separatist tendencies during the #EndSARS protest, the Forum also lauded religious groups, Ulamas, JNI and CAN, for their positive roles and interventions in resolving the crisis.
To address the region’s lingering challenges of Almajiri system, poverty, insecurity, and illiteracy, the Forum canvassed collective efforts in ensuring that sentimental issues such as ethnicity and religion are not allowed to divide the region and distract its stride towards sustainable socio-economic development.
The Forum did not fail to give the Governors thumbs up in their efforts at reviving the region’s economic fortunes, particularly in this post COVID-19 period.
According to the Communique; “The meeting expressed concern over the low-level involvement of relevant of stakeholders in the implementation programmes of government and calls on the relevant agencies to review implementation strategies to make for maximum impact and benefits”.
To safeguard critical assets of the Nation, the Forum raised attention on the need for security agencies to keep strict watch on the FCT in order to guard against unwarranted and destructive protests.
The meeting was attended by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase; Members of the National Assembly; Chief of Staff (COS) to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello
Others include: Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu; Principal Officers of the National Assembly; and Chairmen of the Northern States Traditional Rulers Councils led by His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar among other eminent personalities from the region