Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, says Southern states’ governors deserve to be commended for taking a collective decision to ban open grazing in their various states.
Nwuche, who served as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999-2003, spoke in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, “The governors deserve commendation for taking a common position on the vexed issues of grazing, state policing, and restructuring at their recent meeting in Asaba, Delta State.
“This position will indeed enhance national unity, equity, justice, and fair play amongst the component parts of Nigeria. They did not only take this action to protect their people who are mostly crop farmers but also to encourage animal farmers to embrace modern ranching techniques.”
Nwuche added, “Northern Governors equally deserve commendation for the various meetings they have been holding to strengthen the unity of the North and to chart a common course for the northern region.
“What we would like to see now is for all our governors from the north and the south coming together to take a national position in the interest of Nigeria as a whole.”
He stated that this action should be the next step in the quest to produce a national response to the growing insecurity across the nation.
The former deputy speaker explained that from the separate resolutions taken in each of the meetings between governors of the south and their northern counterparts, it was obvious that every one of them was concerned and would want solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria today.
Nwuche said that the governors, by virtue of their respective mandates as the chief executives of the component parts of our federation, are pivotal for initiating progressive change that can further cement our unity, give a fillip to our economy, spur development that will create jobs for our youth, drastically reduce unemployment, and pull our country back from the current crisis.
He also commended the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, for his generosity and hospitality in hosting the 17 Southern state governors, urging them to meet more frequently to address issues of concern to the electorate who reposed the mandate on them. He also urged the National Assembly to support the position of the governors in order to enhance National unity, equity, justice, and peace of the country.