National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has identified climate change which forced the migration of herders to other parts of Nigeria and mass illiteracy among the Fulani community as the main causes of instability in the North.
Ganduje stated this at a Fulfulde Poetry Competition organised by Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto held at the institution’s auditorium.
He said the relationship between farmers and herders used to be symbiotic before.
On his part, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State said, the state government is investing heavily in intelligence gathering and information sharing to enhance the prevention of security breaches.
He said security apparatuses were also being strengthened through the provision of tools and training and the state government, empowering the community to actively participate in securing the neighbourhood.
Aliyu, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, said the government would continue to prioritise community engagement and dialogue as a means of building trust and fostering cooperation between security and citizens through town hall meetings, community policy initiatives and the establishment of neighbourhood watch groups.
He also announced the donation of N10 million to the participants by the state government.
Earlier, the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Lawal Suleiman Bilbis, said poems had been used from time immemorial to bring peace and stability among various communities.
Abdullahi Isah Suleiman from Kano emerged first followed by Atiku Abubakar Kesoje and Bello Abdullahi Tangaza in the poem competition.
