The Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Abdullahi Adamu, has argued that it is unfair to expect President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendations of the national reform conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
Mr. Adamu stated this at the opening ceremony of a retreat organised by the northern senators forum, Tuesday, in Katsina.
“You can’t compel the president to implement a report he is not part of.
“I can safely bet that those who put their trust in the report have not even read it, there is nothing radical in the report of the conference,” he said.
Mr. Adamu said the retreat, which is being attended by governors and traditional rulers from the northern region, will discuss the current agitation for restructuring, the 2018 budget, and insecurity particularly in the northern part of the country.
“We must study the budget in the context of the peculiar needs and interest of our three geo-political zones and perhaps to use the budget as a bench mark for assessing the impact of the federal budgets on our three zones,” he said.
Mr. Adamu lamented the high rate of poverty in the north saying the situation is unacceptable.
He promised that the lawmakers will make sure that every federal budget has the right impact to lift the northern region out of poverty.
In his speech, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, expressed the hope that the retreat will go a long way in helping to crystallise the ideas expressed by Mr. Adamu.
Mr. Saraki urged the north not to be “afraid” of the debate on restructuring.
He said the north must sit down to asses all the debates over the restructuring discourse and take a more informed decision on the issues.
In a remark, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State said the north would support devolution of powers as long it will not weaken the centre and give more powers to the states and local governments.
Among those who attended the retreat include, the 58 senators from the three geo-political zones in the north, governors of Zamfara and Kebbi states, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and other important personalities.
