Former Vice President Namadi Sambo and retired Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, have praised the recent formation of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), calling it a timely initiative......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The organization aims to tackle the numerous challenges facing the northern region of Nigeria and the country as a whole.
Namadi Sambo, during a meeting with the leadership of the League at his residence, expressed concern over the severe impact of insecurity on critical sectors such as agriculture, education, and healthcare.
He emphasized that the insecurity in the region has crippled farming, threatened the education and health of women and children, and has widened the gap of poverty and inequality in the North and across Nigeria.
“It is very worrisome to note how insecurity has crippled agriculture while threatening education and health of our children and women. These challenges have continued to widen the net of poverty and inequality among people of the North and indeed the entire country,” Sambo remarked.
Identifying with the goals of the LND and committing his full support to the initiative, the former Vice President urged the forum to focus on leveraging collective experiences and resources.
He emphasized the need for unity, stating that “irrespective of our political lineage, we must continue to leverage our respective experiences and resources to play our part in order to meet the aspirations of our people while engendering sustainable peace and socio-economic development.”
In a separate communication, former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, expressed his appreciation to the League for its efforts to address the deteriorating conditions in northern Nigeria.
In a letter addressed to the group’s convener, on Saturday, Dr. Umar Ardo, Dambazau highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action in tackling the region’s pressing issues, which include insecurity, banditry, illiteracy, poverty, drug abuse, the proliferation of arms, and the collapse of vital institutions.
“The deteriorating conditions in the whole of northern Nigeria, which include insecurity, banditry, illiteracy, endemic poverty, drug abuse, the proliferation of arms, and the collapse of our institutions, require urgent and coordinated action,” Dambazau stressed.
He commended the League of Northern Democrats for providing a platform to galvanize efforts in addressing these challenges and positioning the North for a more prosperous future.
Dambazau also promised to actively participate in the group’s activities aimed at resolving the concerns of the region.
The League of Northern Democrats was recently launched under the leadership of its convener, elder statesman Dr. Umar Ardo.
The organization has already appointed former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, as its protem Chairman, with former House of Representatives member, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, serving as Secretary. Other prominent northern elites are also involved in the group.
The LND has scheduled a historic summit in Kaduna for October this year, with Vice President Kashim Shettima expected to attend.
The League has clarified that it is not aligned with any political party or ethnic or religious group.
Instead, it was created to help the government address the various challenges undermining the northern states, such as insecurity, poverty, illiteracy, destitution, unemployment, and the rising menace of drug addiction among youth.