“We’re marginalized” — APC north-central backs call for regional govt
The North Central Forum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has called for the adoption of the regional system of government in Nigeria.
Addressing journalists in Jos on Friday, the forum’s president, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, based its decision on alleged marginalization of the region.
According to Zazzaga, the governance framework where every region could take care of their needs would benefit the north-central.
The chairman said the region could use its educational quality, natural resources, political prowess and agriculture to develop itself and have a better society.
“Our call for the regional government has become necessary due to the marginalisation of the corth-central region,” he said.
“The north-central has contributed a lot to the nation, in terms of agriculture, education, natural resources, political contributions to government and emergency of national leaders, among other vital national contributions, but yet has been marginalized over the years.
“We have been marginalised not only politically but in other aspects. The region, for instance, is also the food basket of the nation, especially from agricultural activities from Benue, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, etc, but our agricultural strength is not maximize at the national level to take care of the food security of our region.
“Similarly, we have natural resources like tin, and various other natural endowments, which can take care of the region’s economic needs, but yet not well maximized for the economic prosperity of the people.
“Also, since the democratic dispensation from 1999, the region has contributed to the growth of democracy and the emergence of many national leaders as well as presidents, but we are still marginalized in terms of political appointments.
“An instance of this is the recent contentious APC national chairmanship position which is being taken to north-west instead of being maintained in the north central region according to the party political arrangement.
“So, after a careful consideration of how marginalized we have been in this nation despite our endowments and contributions to national development, we the North Central APC Forum is calling for the regional system of government.
“Since the regional system of government is a political framework where power is divided among constituent political units, such as regions or states, we are therefore calling for the adoption of such system so that each region in the nation can use their endowments to develop themselves, without any fear of marginalization
“Meanwhile the federal government would still be responsible for matters such as national security, foreign affairs, and regulation of interstate or inter-region commerce, while the regions would have powers to administer their respective regions,” he added.
