The north is indeed under siege

The situation in the north is now critical and something must be done urgently to address it. Aside the Boko Haram in the North-east, now the North -West is battling armed robbery, banditry and kidnapping. The once blossoming region has since become the home of crises. The region has the history of ethnic and religion crises that resulted in the death of many innocent souls. Today, it has gone beyond ethnic and religion crises. These problems have dragged the region backwards and retarded its development.

In the early 60’s and late 70’s, the North was the home of agriculture, but that is no longer the case. This neglected sector created informal jobs to millions of youth. The hitherto flourishing textiles companies also created millions of jobs. Now, that is history. The region which was the food basket of the country has become a fertile ground for poverty, hunger and insecurity.

The governors of the region have held several summits aimed at addressing the recurring problems, unfortunately, the recommendations of the summits are not implemented. The problems of the region cannot be solved with empty promises or speeches. There is need for strong commitment by the leaders and other stakeholders to end the problems bedevilling the region.

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua wrote from Kaduna.