Northern govs. advise Jonathan to listen to northern elders on insecurity

Posted by admin Latest Politics Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

-Vanguard

ABUJA— GOVERNORS of the Northern states, weekend, said if there must be an end to cases of bloodletting and bombings in the north, President Goodluck Jonathan must treat with seriousness the position paper submitted to him by the Northern Elders last week Wednesday.

Answering questions from journalists in Gombe during the wedding ceremony of three children of the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor Rufai Alkali, Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, NGF and governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said in a democracy, everyone should be allowed to make his opinions and position known while the leaders are under obligation to listen.

The NGF’s chairman who noted that he was not privy to the document submitted to the President, said he was certain that how to curb the state of insecurity in the north topped the agenda of the meeting, adding that the northern elders have now spoken and it was now left for President Jonathan to take note of their views.

According to him, “in democracy people must be given a chance to also say their views, particularly in a situation of insecurity. I believe they are also saying what they understand to be and suggesting how to solve some of these problems. Everybody should be given that chance. I believe that every administration that wants to succeed must make arrangement for people to really air their views.”

Governor Aliyu, who also used the opportunity to canvass support for the three-point reform agenda of the PDP national chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, stressed that democracy could only be deepened when political parties were strengthened to ensure internal democracy, justice, discipline and supremacy of the party, which is the major agenda of the Tukur administration.

He said: “I know I have always been an advocate that the party must be democratic; that the party must be able to really champion the interest of the people because the party produces all the governors, all elected officers and, therefore, to me the party is the most important and the repositioning is very, very fundamental if we really want to make or continue to make the impact that we want. “

On the dividends of democracy, the governor of Niger State said: “In my state, the people are happy with what we are doing; the people are impressed and my people are praying for us to continue what we have started, that is the fundamental thing.

“Democracy could be slow, but it is the best government or the best form of administration so far all over the world.
“Our people who are used to military system may not be too comfortable with the slowness or the process of consultation and therefore they may be complain loud.

“If you hear some abuses it is probably coming from such people who are used to automatic ways of doing things, but in democracy you must consult; you must let people know where and when mistakes are made; you must apologise and where good things are done you don’t have to beat your chest on that, you only build on that”.

Speaking at the wedding reception held at the banquet hall of the Gombe government house, Prof. Alkali who expressed his appreciation to the dignitaries from across the country for his children’s wedding, said he believed Nigeria as a project would work despite our present challenges.

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