We’re not parasites, says northern govs

Northern Gover­nors’ Forum has dismissed the notion in some quarters that the region is a parasite on other parts of the country.Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, made the clarification in Minna when he received the Peace and De­velopment award bestowed on him by the Zumunta Zabi Sonka Social Association in recognition of his peace and development initiatives in the country.Aliyu told the association, which also swore in its new national executive council members that the North was made up of hard working and serious-minded people who had contributed and still con­tributing their quota to national development.

“We should reject the claim by some people that the North is a parasite in Nigeria. The North has shown capability to make the difference in the country before and after inde­pendence,” he said.

Aliyu, therefore, challenged the people of the region to be more industrious by creating opportunities for employment and economic development of the states and the region.

On the insurgency that had hampered the economic growth of some parts of the North, Governor Aliyu said no one should shelter members of Boko Haram, who were in the forefront of the crisis rocking the region, adding that shield­ing the sect members was un-Islamic and a betrayal of the nation.

“Don’t pity Boko Haram, anything they do will affect everyone not minding reli­gion or tribe. No one prays for another civil war; anyone that wants to cause it should be ostracised,” the governor advised, adding that the North as a whole should unite against insurgency because “what is happening in the North, we never thought would happen.”

National President of the association, Alhaji Ibrahim  Aliyu, said members of the group were waiting on Gov­ernor Aliyu to direct them on whom to vote for in the 2015 presidential election, stress­ing that they would support the political aspiration of the governor.