A North Central forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is advocating for the implementation of a regional system of governance in Nigeria.
The forum wished that each region could independently address its own needs using its own resources, educational standards, political influence, and agricultural practices with the proposed system of governance.
The APC forum stressed that the call for a regional government has become imperative due to the neglect and marginalization experienced by the North Central region.
During a press conference in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, highlighted the issue’s significance, referring to it as a matter of urgent national importance.
He pointed out that the North Central region has made substantial contributions to the nation in terms of agriculture, education, natural resources, political participation, and the emergence of national leaders.
However, despite these vital contributions, the region has been consistently marginalized over the years.
Zazzaga specifically mentioned political marginalization, as well as the underutilization of the region’s agricultural potential, particularly in states like Benue, Plateau, Niger, and Kogi, which serve as the nation’s food basket.
He stressed that the region’s agricultural strength should be fully harnessed at the national level to ensure food security for the region.
Furthermore, he highlighted the presence of valuable natural resources such as tin and other endowments, which have the potential to meet the economic needs of the region. However, these resources have not been fully optimized to promote economic prosperity for the people.
Zazzaga further emphasized that since the advent of democracy in 1999, the region has played a significant role in fostering democratic progress and nurturing numerous national leaders and presidents.
However, it is disheartening to note that the region still faces some degree of marginalization when it comes to political appointments.
A recent example of this is the controversial APC National Chairmanship position, which is currently being contested in favour of the North West region.
“So, after 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, are 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 a 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 said.
Zazzaga highlighted the forum’s commitment to the advancement of the North Central Zone, stating that they have actively participated in political and economic endeavours aimed at benefiting the region.
According to him, as loyal APC stakeholders, they will persistently strive for progress until they achieve a favourable outcome.
As dedicated leaders of the APC, he said they have collaborated with individuals from various political parties and stakeholders within the region, disregarding any ethno-religious or political affiliations.
Zazzaga further clarified that it is entirely justified to utilize their platform to promote the North Central region. They highlighted that even governors, legislators, and local government chairmen have established party or regional forums to advocate for their shared interests.
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