Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has insisted that the northern parts of the country is abundantly blessed with natural resources despite the economic hardship being faced by the people of the region.
Yahaya, the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, (NGF), who made the assertion on Monday at the Government House chamber in Gombe while playing host to the Arewa Consultative Forum who paid him a courtesy visit, also said the region is not inferior to other regions in the country and has what it takes to compete with the South and go head-to-head with any part of the country.
“The resources available in the North are more than adequate for us to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with any region to meet the needs and expectations of our people,” the governor said.
“The differences that emanated, whether for political, social or economic reasons, have to be addressed rightly.
“The current situation prevailing in the North-East is worrisome, with the issues associated with insurgency and Boko Haram which started about 14 years ago.
“What befell North-West where brothers are killing brothers, fighting about the scarce resources that we have not been able to manage?
“There is a need to wake up from slumber and do the needful. The North-Central is not as peaceful as it was during the regional government of the Sardauna of Sokoto.
“We need to go back to the drawing board, and we need to do this in two ways. First, a backward integration: we should look at what we lost, including values, norms, and social interactions, and revisit them to adopt the good ones.
“Second, we need to compare ourselves to our competitors. We can’t afford to fail, not even for a second or a day. If it means doubling our efforts to act swiftly and do what’s necessary, we must do so.
“We must stand shoulder to shoulder with others in securing our rightful rights and privileges as part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If we fail to address this issue and change the tide, I can’t imagine a situation where three-quarters of Nigeria’s landmass, with possibly 55 per cent or more of the population, is left behind,” he added.