Governors of the 19 northern states are holding an emergency meeting in Kaduna State.
Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, said one of the key issues to be discussed at the meeting, the second of its kind in seven months, is the raging controversy over collection of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Other issues on the agenda at the meeting, which also has traditional rulers from the region in attendance, include the insecurity bedevilling the states of the region.
Lalong, who is the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), said the governors will also evaluate their efforts at tackling insecurity in their respective states and the region.
“While getting update essentially on the progress made so far from the previous meeting held in February, we shall take stock of how far we have gone in tackling banditry, kidnapping and insurgency, and chart a way forward.
“Today, I look forward to robust contributions from all members that will lead us to arrive at very meaningful conclusions that will impact positively on the fortunes of our people,” he said.
The host governor, Nasir el-Rufai, said the meeting is aimed at tapping ideas from the governors of the 19 northern states as the region is facing various economic and security challenges.
“These have destroyed the rural economy and it is for this reason that we convened an emergency meeting,” he said.
