President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday said he appointed Northerners into major defence positions because of their knowledge of the region.
“Our first decision was to task our brothers from the Northwest and the Northeast to rise in defence of the security of the region.
“Who else can better understand the complexity of the region than the people themselves,’’ he said.
President Tinubu spoke at the opening of a two-day United Nations Development Programme( UNDP)-sponsored Northwest Peace and Security Summit in Katsina.
He was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Some Northerners holding sensitive security posts are Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Defence (State) Bello Matawale; National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff (COAS) General Christopher Musa and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.
For insecurity in the North to abate, people of the region must rise in unison against terrorists and other criminal elements that have for over a decade denied them peace, President Tinubu said.
This position was supported by the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III.
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They stated that doing so would complement the strategies adopted by the government and the Armed Forces to restore peace in the region hitherto known for its tranquillity and cohesion.
The theme of the summit graced by eminent personalities like former President Muhammadu Buhari, four of the seven Northwest governors, and Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru, is: “Regional cooperation for securing lives and livelihoods in Northwest Nigeria.’’
President Tinubu said even though the various strategies adopted by his administration to tackle the security challenges in the North were yielding results, the people needed to complement the success.
Tinubu, whose address at the event was titled: “Securing stability: uniting for peace in Northwest Nigeria,” reiterated his administration’s commitment to completely eradicating terrorism and other forms of crime.
Describing the summit as a communal gathering to address “the afflictions that have threatened the stability and unity” of the North, the President attributed the lingering crisis in the zone to a fractured relationship by a people “rooted in a culture and bond of shared interests and common pursuits.’’
He said: “What we are witnessing across the North is an explosion of damaged relationships, and we have come to say: enough is enough.
“I am proud to share that the strategies we have employed have begun to provide redemption. We are not slowing down until we achieve our aim.
“Beyond the economic rationale that drove the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, the formation of our great nation was inspired by the need for mutual protection.
“But, I ask, how can we achieve this sacred objective if one part is afflicted?
“We have long established that whatever ails any part of this federation destabilises the other.
“So, the issue of national security in the Northwest is not a sectional agenda.
“We promised to make Nigeria safer, and this aim has been our topmost priority since we came to office over a year ago.”
Noting that the steps taken to combat the security challenges his administration inherited were mapped out 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 are fully addressed.
“We must also reverse the institutional frailties governing security and the economic dysfunctions that create vulnerabilities to crime.
“We must counter the ideological mischief that has pervaded the discourse of peace and security in the region.
“I believe we are going to continue comparing our ideas and thoughts to not only review our strategies and improve upon them to make the states in the Northwest stable and peaceful parts of the nation, but to assure ourselves that we cannot achieve the triumph we desire without any part of the nation being secure.”
Sultan’s rallying call
Sultan Abubakar III, who advised Northerners to challenge insurgents and other criminals, warned that insecurity in the region, especially in the Northwest, could linger if they failed to do so.
He said: “What we must do is to challenge these bandits because we all know the consequences of banditry and insurgency on our lives.
“We all know the consequences and the problems.”
The Sultan, who is also President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, said traditional rulers were ready to partner with security agencies and the Northwest governors to save the region from insurgency.
Defence Minister Badaru reassured Nigerians of the commitment of the Armed Forces to ending armed conflict.
He, however, stressed the need for synergy between security agencies and governors.
Badaru, who added that the government was open to collaboration among security agencies, said the Federal Government would soon meet with the governors to deliberate on the outcome of the summit.
Host Governor Dikko Radda (Katsina) lamented that banditry in the Northwest has crippled socio-economic activities.
Radda, who is the chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, said the forum would not allow the menace to continue.
He said: “As leaders, we must adopt a multi-faceted approach that includes robust intelligence gathering, community policing, and deployment of advanced security technology.’’
The governor thanked President Tinubu and security agencies for their efforts in tackling banditry in the Northwest and other parts of the country.
UNDP Country Representative to Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, called for investment in the youth to channel their potential towards profitable ventures.
German Ambassador to Nigeria Annett Günther assured of the support of her country for Nigeria in the fight against insecurity. Günther emphasised the need to reactivate traditional solutions to the conflict in the Northwest.
Also at the summit were Governors Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara). Governors of Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano states were represented by their deputies.
Federal lawmakers from the region were also in attendance.
Former Governors of Katsina State, Aminu Masari and Ibrahim Shema; Minister of Arts and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Bamali, Emir of Daura Umar Umar; Emir of Katsina and Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman also attended the event.
