Ganduje urges northern Speakers to tackle street begging, other challenges

SPEAKERS in the 19 northern states have been charged to increase efforts towards tackling street begging, educational backwardness, unemployment and security challenges ravaging the region.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who spoke while hosting the Speakers at the weekend in Kano lamented over incessant impeachment of Speakers by Assembly members, a development, he opined, is a setback to the nation’s democratic process.

Ganduje said democracy should revolve around issues of national interest and devoid of trivialities. He urged the legislators to partner the executive arm of government to bring about progress and development in the region.

He stressed the need for all northerners to unite towards addressing issues militating against their growth.

According to Ganduje, “The frequency at which Speakers and deputy governors are removed like underwear is not the best. Somebody was impeached from his office as deputy governor because he has poultry farm within his official residence. These excuses were not cogent enough to warrant impeachment. Legislators need to grow above trivialized issues. We need to tackle common challenges in our region.

“We need to step up efforts to tackle problems facing the region particularly the issue of Almajeri, educational and economic backwardness, unemployment and conflicts,” Ganduje emphasized.

He appealed to the Federal Government to give special attention to the North East geopolitical zone because of its peculiar challenges of insecurity and underdevelopment.