The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG has appealed to the federal government to urgently begin the process of rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration of all displaced communities throughout the northern region.
CNG, in a communique issued at the end of its stakeholders’ engagement with northern artists, social media influencers and bloggers decried the spate of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and farmers/herders clash which are having negative effects on the socio-economic development of the region.
The stakeholders, unanimously urged, “the federal government in particular, to reactivate the well-designed and people-friendly program of rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration of all displaced communities throughout the region.”
According to the communique read by CNG National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, ” the collective efforts will be geared in fighting kidnapping, armed banditry, farmer-herders conflict, cattle rustling, criminal abduction for ransom, ethno-religious tensions, stigmatization, out-of-school children, youth restiveness, political thuggery, and drug abuse among other crimes in the North.”
CNG stressed the need for forging close ties and strong synergy, between and amongst all three tiers of government, to effectively tackle the insecurity menace ravaging the region.
The communique further stated that “After a detailed review of the recent successes achieved by the security forces in the ongoing fight against the armed bandits, the gathering emphasised the need for the deployment of robust non-kinetic approach.
CNG, however, appealed to governments at all levels to create a conducive climate aimed at fostering community dialogue and peace-building with a view to restoring security, industrial growth and prosperity in the northern region and the nation as a whole.
Participants also resolved to use the partnership as a platform to change the mindset of Northern youths, to engage them in productive ventures and to avoid any form of involvement in restiveness and criminality.