Ethnic nationalities in the North-East elect 15 delegates for National Dialogue

By The Citizen

Ethnic nationalities in the North-East geopolitical zone have elected 15 delegates to represent the zone at the forthcoming National Dialogue organised by the Federal Government.

Mr Suleman Sukukum, a member of the Steering Committee, Conference of Autonomous Ethnic Community Development Associations in the zone, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Gombe.

He said that the delegates were elected on Wednesday in Gombe at a meeting of stakeholders on ethnic nationalities in the zone.

He said that Borno, Gombe and Yobe states were allocated two slots each, while Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba states had three slots each.

Sukukum described the election as very peaceful and democratic, adding that delegates from each of the six states were given the opportunity to nominate persons to represent their respective states.

'None of the delegates are from the same ethnic nationality; they have to be from different ethnic nationality.

'We also encouraged the delegates to look at issues of religious representation and other differences,' he said.

Sukukum told NAN that subsequent meetings would be held to marshal out modalities for equal representation and issues affecting the ethnic nationalities.

He called on the federal government to increase the slots allotted to ethnic nationalities, adding that the current number was inadequate. (NAN)