Northern Elders Discuss Poverty and Insecurity in North

At the third edition of the Late Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference held at Arewa House, Kaduna, prominent northern elders, including Prof. Ango Abdullahi, chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, and political economist Dr. Usman Bugaje, addressed the ongoing challenges of poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment in Northern Nigeria. They lamented the erosion of values and leadership ideals that once characterized the region.

Abdullahi stated that the North has lost its moral values, which has contributed to its stagnation despite physical expansion in cities. He emphasized that the decline in virtues such as honesty and selfless leadership has led to the current pathetic situation.

Bugaje highlighted the economic decline, increasing poverty, and institutional decay in the region, attributing these issues to a departure from the visionary leadership exemplified by Gen. Hassan Katsina. He noted the adverse effects of insecurity on agriculture and commerce, questioning the current state of leadership in the North.