By Muhammad Jalal
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that his administration will not rest on its oars until banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity are completely eliminated from the country.
He said that at the moment, the nation was witnessing a turning point as the strategies being adopted by security forces, including rules of engagement employed were already beginning to yield results.
The President spoke on Monday when he declared open the North -West Peace and Security Summit with the theme: “Regional Cooperation for Securing Lives and Livelihoods in North West Nigeria,” organised by the North West Governor’s Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Germany Government at Government House, Katsina State.
Represented at the 2-day event by the Vice President , Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu stated: “What we are witnessing across the North is an explosion of these damaged relationships and we have come to say: enough is enough. Our first decision was to task our brothers from the North-West and the North-East with the defence and security of the region”.
Delivering the President’s address titled, “Securing Stability: Uniting for Peace in North-West Nigeria,” President Tinubu explained why Northern Nigeria was always considered globally as one unified people, saying that the region’s unity was firmly rooted in a culture and bond of shared interests and common pursuits.
President Tinubu described the 2-day Summit as a communal gathering to address what he termed “the afflictions that have threatened the stability and unity” of the North.
He said that the nation has long been established that whatever cause issue in any part of the federation would destabilize the other, adding that the issue of national security in the North-West was not a sectional agenda.
President Tinubu noted that it has been the topmost priority of his administration since he came to office over a year ago to make Nigeria safer .
Noting that his administration had mapped out measures bold steps to combat the security challenges his administration inherited even before embarking on the journey, President Tinubu observed that achieving security and peace would require that the historical injustices that have torn communities in Nigeria apart must be fully addressed.
“We must also reverse the institutional frailties governing security and the economic dysfunctions that create vulnerabilities to crime. We must also counter the ideological mischief that has pervaded the discourse of peace and security in the region,” he added.
The President further noted that the Peace and Security Summit became necessary to proffer solutions to insecurity and ensure a region where every trade was safe, where every group was at peace, and where the policing and military presence of the state was optimal.
In order to come up with pragmatic solutions to security challenges in the North West, President Tinubu said his administration adopted kinetic and non-kinetic interventions designed to build the perimeter of the nation’s security infrastructure.
He mentioned the Pulaku resettlement initiative as one of the non-kinetic interventions rolled out by his administration, saying that it was a timely solution to address some of the root causes of disputes and insecurity in the North-West.
He explained that the choice of Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna States for the pilot phase was strategically planned to create positive, nationwide transformations, stressing that the comprehensive plan included building residences, roads, schools, and essential facilities, fulfilling their pledge to the nation.
He said that the effort symbolized his administration’s commitment to ensure sustainable development and a unified, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria, transforming our diversity into strength.
Earlier in his welcome address, Katsina State Governor, Umaru Radda, lamented that the activities of banditry in the state and other parts of the North West including Niger State, have cast shadows on most of the communities, crippling social economic activities in the areas.
Governor Radda, who is the Chairman of the North- West Governors’ Forum noted that the forum would not allow the menace of banditry to defile the region.
He said that as leaders, they must adopt a multifaceted approach that included robust intelligence gathering, community policing and deploying advanced security technology.
He said that in order to enhance the capacity of our national security forces, there was need to continue to improve on it and provide adequate resources.
Governor Radda thanked President Tinubu for the efforts in tackling banditry in the North -West and other parts of the country just as he also saluted the efforts of the security agencies.
He noted that his administration has provided N10 billion grants to Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen local industries and create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.
In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, said that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the current administration of President Tinubu was committed to ending armed conflicts in Nigeria.
He, however, stressed the need for synergy between security agencies and State Governors, adding that the government was open for collaboration among security agencies and that in the days ahead, the federal government would meet with the Governors to deliberate on the outcome of the Summit.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, said that the traditional institutions were always willing to cooperate with the federal and state governors to tackle the security challenges.
The royal father called on the citizens and communities to join hands with the government and security agencies in combating insecurity in the country.
For her part, the UNDP Country representative to Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, called for investment in the youth with a view to channeling their potentials towards profitable ventures, even as she emphasized the importance of regional cooperation.
The Summit was attended by the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari; Governors Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State as well as the Deputy Governors of Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano States. Also, federal lawmakers from the region were in attendance.
Others were former Governors of Katsina State, Aminu Masari and Ibrahim Shema; Minister of Arts and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; Emir of Daura, HRH Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar; Emir of Katsina, HRH. Abdulmumuni kabir Corps among others.
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