Yahaya Inuwa, governor of Gombe State, is the new Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Inuwa was elected by the governors of the 19 northern states at a meeting of the forum on Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja.
He succeeds Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau State.
Said Inuwa:“We will work hard to ensure that we catch up with the rest of the country, possibly with the developed parts of the world, so that our people will feel the impact of good governance we all pursue.”
Inuwa promised to ensure that Northern Nigeria exploits the oil and gas deposits, as well as solid minerals with which it is endowed for the upliftment of the masses.
Outgoing chairman, Lalong, said he was rest assured that Inuwa would bring his outstanding management capabilities to bear in his new role as chairman of the forum.
Lalong described his tenure as challenging and urged the incoming governors to work in cooperation, with regional security as a priority.
He said the Northern Governors’ Forum was able tto ccreasonable ccontain the security situation in the region with the support of the Federal Government and security agencies.
“Without the series of meetings and engagements we held, our people would have been thrown into deeper hunger and despair as the threat by criminals restrained them from engaging in farming which is the main economic activity of the region.
“Although we have not overcome this challenge completely, we have substantially improved the situation. We hope that the incoming governors and those continuing their second terms will work together with the Federal Government to ensure the region is secure,” Lalong said.
