Northern Governors have reminded their counterparts in the South that the region can’t be President of Nigeria in 2023 and thereafter by any other means than the provisions in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The Governors, under the umbrella of Northern Governors Forum, at its meeting today, September 27 in Kaduna, condemned a statement by the Southern Governors Forum that the Presidency must go to the South in 2023.

A communiqué issued by the Forum and read by the Governor of Plateau State and Chairman of the Forum, Simon Bako Lalong, said that though some Northern State Governors had earlier expressed views for a power-shift to three Geo-Political Zone in the South with a view to promoting unity and peace in the country, but that it would not work that way.

The Northern State Governors described the statement of the Southern State Governors Forum on the Presidency as “quite contradictory with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended, that the elected President shall:- score the majority votes; score at least 25% of the votes cast in 2/3 States of the Federation. In the case of run-up simple majority win the election.”

The full text of the Northern Governors Forum today is reproduced here:

RESOLUTIONS OF THE NORTHERN STATES GOVERNORS’ FORUM MEETING WITH NORTHERN STATES EMIRS AND CHIEFS HELD ON MONDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER, 2021

The Northern States Governors’ Forum, in its continuous efforts to address the challenges bedeviling the Northern States convened an Emergency Meeting today Monday 27th September, 2021 at the Council Chamber Sir, Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting was also attended by Chairmen of Northern States Traditional Council led by His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto.

2. The Forum discussed issues of Peace, Progress, Development and well-being of the Northern States. The Forum took stock of progress made in handling challenges of Banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and insurgency.

After extensive deliberations, the following resolutions were arrived at:-

1. The Forum reviewed security updates from the Region and observed the need for a sustained synergy and coordinated efforts between the Federal and Northern States Governments while noting success of recent measures. The meeting also noted with concern the constraint of the security services and urged the Armed Forces to embark on simultaneous operations and resolved to share the plans of the Frontline States come up with common with other Region; and assured of its readiness to work in synergy with the Federal Government of Nigeria in finding lasting solution to the current security challenges.
2. The Forum appreciated the ongoing onslaught against banditry, kidnapping and Boko Haram especially in the North East and parts of North West and North Central States and encouraged the Armed forces and other security agencies to sustain the tempo to enable the security challenges be permanently addressed in the shortest time.
3. The Forum received updates on the Renewable / Solar Energy Project and NOTED that request for land for the project had been submitted and are being processed by the Northern States. The Committee had commenced negotiations in a public private arrangement and sovereign guarantees to ensure bankability of the project by multilateral financial organizations. The Forum called on States yet to process the request for allocation of land for the project to expedite action.
4. The meeting received updates on activities of some Committees constituted by the Northern States Governors’ Forum and NOTED that recommendations contained therein are being considered with a view to coming up with implementation strategies.
5. The Forum observed that some Northern States Governors had earlier expressed views for a power-shift to three Geo-Political Zone in the South with a view to promoting unity and peace in the Nation. Notwithstanding their comments, the Forum unanimously condemn the statement by the Southern Governors Forum that the Presidency must go to the South. The statement is quite contradictory with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended that the elected President shall:-

score the majority votes;

score at least 25% of the votes cast in 2/3 States of the Federation. In the case of run-up simple majority win the election.

6. The Northern State Governors Forum considered the on-going National debate on the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT). As responsible leaders while we are constraint by the fact that the matter is sub judice we however for the purposes of educating the public make the following observations:

(a) the judgement of the Federal high Court calls to question the constitutionality of VAT, withholding tax, education tax, Niger Delta Development Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, 13% derivation, National Economic Development Council and many other currently levied and collected by the Federal Government of Nigeria, Federal Inlands Revenue Service.

(b) Rivers and Lagos State Government had enacted their own VAT laws and the Southern Governors Forum have expressed support for this course of action;

(c) VAT is being confused by these State Government as a sales tax. If every State enacted its own VAT Law, multiple taxation will result in increases of prices of goods and services and collapsed in interstate trade. VAT is not a production tax like excise, but terminal tax which is paid by the ultimate consumer;

(d) Another confusion is ignoring observation above and its “overall effect”. The reason Lagos account for our 50% Vat collection is because most of the telecommunication companies, Banks, manufacturing and other trading activities have their headquarters in Lagos with the resultant and wrongful attribution of VAT;

(e) Until and unless the Supreme Court pronounces judgement on the substantive matter between Rivers State and Federal Government, the matter is sub judice and Northern States Governors Forum would respect this.

7. The Traditional Rulers Councils appreciated the efforts made so far by the NSGF in addressing the key areas of challenges facing the Northern States, they expressed their willingness, solidarity and collaboration with the Governors’ in addressing these challenges particularly the issue of security. It was equally resolved that perpetrators of crimes should be dealt with irrespective of their status in the society.
8. The Forum decried the high level of conspiracies being perpetrated by some Judicial Officers in releasing / granting bail to arrested criminals. This attitude sabotages the fight against criminality, therefore, there the need to develop good and robust intelligence mechanism amongst States was identified as a panacea.
9. The Forum calls on Agencies to leave up to their responsibility, Traditional rulers are to equally mobilize their various communities in checkmating the ugly trend of criminality in their domains.
10. The Forum NOTED the ugly trend in the spread of drugs and consumption amongst the teeming youth and therefore, calls on all levels of Governments and communities to raise to the occasion by stemming the tide.
11. The Forum also call the Federal Government to expedite action on the well establish National Livestock Transformation Programme as a spring board in transiting from the open grazing system as widely practice in the North

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong KSGG,

Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has made it clear to journalists in Nigeria that, like other privileged elites, they owe it a duty to make it impossible for elements that are out to subvert the unity of the country and the democracy being practiced.

“This country is ours, whether we are press, politicians or religious people, the country is ours, and we must do everything to ensure that the country remains safe, secure, and united, and this so important.”

Professor Osinbajo, who spoke today, September 27 when he received at the Presidential Villa, the national executive of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Mr. Chris Isiguzo said: “I thank you for your civic vigilance, for remaining steadfast in your belief for the rule of law and press freedom in the country.

“As I keep saying, the elite in our country, those of us who have had the benefit of education, positions and all of that, we owe millions of our people who are poor, who have no access and have no voice, a duty to ensure that we don’t let things become worse for them.”

Osinbajo noted in many other countries, journalists and government collaborate to protect the information space, even as he called on stakeholders in Nigeria to replicate such efforts in the interest of security and unity.

“There are so many countries faced with a national challenge and where you have people who are prepared to subvert the entire republic, the press works actively with government to ensure that the information space is protected in such a way that people who want to subvert the republic are not allowed to do so.

“But I think it is important because your voices as respected members of the fourth estate of the realm; your voices are very important in moderating the kinds of views that we hear constantly which in the end, (if care is not taken) subverts the polity.”

The Vice President stressed the importance of the citizenry to continue to emphasize that the unity of this country is crucial, saying that if the country breaks up in any way or “becomes the subject of what some people will like it to be, all of us will lose out. Obviously, the elite will survive in any way but the vast majority of our people will not.

“So, I will urge that we should as much as possible do whatever we can in our spaces that we occupy to keep emphasizing that we cannot afford a situation where the national unity of this country is compromised or where the country is made the theater of conflict and all sorts of insurgencies and crimes.”

Earlier, the President of the union, Isiguzo commended the initiatives of the Buhari administration in the areas of creating employment opportunity, skills training for the youth, among others.

He said that the union had over the years, engaged in training and retraining of Journalists with assistance from various development partners to build capacity of journalists to effectively bring to public attention, humanitarian situations in the country in a fair manner.

Isiguzo said that the union frowned against fake news and would do everything in its powers to check the menace.

He called on journalists to be careful not to be tempted into propagating fake news by ensuring proper and adequate checks before stories are written and transmitted for public consumption.

The NUJ president also restated the call for a bailout fund to be provided for the media industry, noting that many media houses are forced to cut salaries or lay off their workers because of the increasing difficulty to sustain operations.

The National executive members of the union present at the meeting include the Deputy President, Alhaji Mukhtar Gidado; National Secretary, Shuaibu Leman; President of the National Association of Women Journalists, (NAWOJ), Ladi Bala; FCT Chairman of the union, Emmanuel Ogbeche, among others.