In Washington DC, Northern Nigerian Governors Vow To Salvage Region Hit By Sea Of Crises

By Simon Ateba/Washington DC

They promised virtually everything politicians often promise everywhere in the world: To strengthen democracy and the rule of law, increase accountability and transparency, eradicate poverty and hunger as well as boost school enrollment for northern children, especially girls.

The northern Nigerian governors who gathered here in Washington DC on Tuesday for a three day symposium in the American capital came to seek solutions for a region in crisis after a seven year insurgency by Boko Haram left at least 2.5 million Nigerians displaced and more than 25, 000 others dead.

Worse, many kidnapped women in the region, including the more than 200 Chibok girls who were abducted more than two years ago remain missing, although 21 of them were freed last week after negotiations with Boko Haram’s leadership.

With Boko Haram’s strength signicantly reduced following successful operations by the armies of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger under the multinational joint taskforce, the governors seem to be focusing on rebuilding a region in ruins, especially the Northeastern part of the country.

The symposium for northern governors is organised by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) to address social crises and violence, including the Boko Haram insurgency, in Nigeria’s north.

All the 19 northern governors were invited not only to identify the root causes of the insurgency and the underdevelopment in the north, but to proffer a way out for a vast region with over 50 percent of the Nigerian population.

From October 18 to 20, meetings with Nigerian civil society leaders, conflict resolution experts and senior U.S. officials and business executives will be held.

These groups are expected to examine ways to build the economy, reduce poverty, resolve communal disputes and otherwise reduce the roots of violent conflicts that pose risks to 180 million Nigerians, to neighboring African states and to stability in the region.

Although the governors are mainly from northern Nigeria, the organisers tried to cast the event as being in the interest of the entire country.

“A more peaceful and prosperous northern Nigeria will make for a more peaceful, prosperous Nigeria as a whole,” said Ambassador Johnnie Carson , a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Africa and now a senior advisor at USIP.

Mr. Carson, who joined in the talks with the governors, made the assertion prior to the meetings.

Some of the governors in attendance, included Kashim Shettima of Borno state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, Bindo Umaru Jibrilla of Adamawa state, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau.

In all, 11 governors and a deputy governor confirmed their attendance. The Minister of Interior was also in attendance.

TheSimonAtebaNews could not determine whether all the governors were in attendance on Tuesday as they were shielded from pressmen.