What will say are issues of concern to the Katsina State Elders’ Forum?
There are three main issues that the elders’ forum is very concerned about. The first is the issue of insecurity affecting the state and the northwest states. We have complained severally to the federal government to complement what the state government is doing, providing security to our dear state, but they are yet to live up to expectations. we have complained and the bandits kept on attacking and killing our people, burning down people’s houses and destroying their farm produce.
In 12 local government areas, there is no peace. If you are travelling, you are not sure whether you may return to meet your family. It is really unfortunate with the way things have become, even with the so-called ministers of defence from the north. We don’t know what they are doing because they have not done enough to stop the killing and you know the killing is only happening in this part of the country. We are calling on the federal government, as a matter of urgency, to provide security to Katsina State and other parts of the north.
We have realised that insecurity is only happening in the North and both ministers of defence are from the region. Why? Imagine, over 100 people were killed by bandits in Katsina State but none of the ministers or the presidents (former and present) visited or condoled with their families or provided some succour to cushion the effect of the attack. You see a lot of beggars in the streets all as a result of the bandit activities happening in the state.
The state government has tried its best by forming a group called the Community Watch Corps, which is its best, but unfortunately, they are not allowed to hold sophisticated weapons like the military. The soldiers are not helping matters, and we don’t know what the problem is. The minister should be up and going to address this issue. Who is behind the problem? The federal government has to explain to us. Why are the military performing miracles elsewhere in countries and not in Nigeria, and in particular, the northern part of the country? Look at what the Niger and the Chad republics did. They killed about 700 bandits and seized thousands of their weapons.
Our military personnel are intelligent and brave. Who is against the north? Please, we need an explanation. Otherwise, we want the government to come up with immediate measures. Let them introduce the juggle battalion, put them in the forest, and let them remain there until they repel the bandits. The hoodlums are known, and we are calling on Mr President to please save the North and Katsina State in particular.
Second, I want to comment on this issue of LGBT in the name of gender balance which the budget minister allegedly went and signed on behalf of Nigeria. We are telling the federal government that we object to this arrangement. We vehemently object that because we, Muslims and Christians, are against this same-sex marriage.
So, we are begging Mr President to reverse it with immediate effect. If truly they have gone and signed the LGBT agreement, Katsina State is out of it. And we are ready to do anything, and we are ready to go anywhere. We are sending this message to the federal government that Katsina State is not in support of this. We are Muslims and Christians, and we believe in our religion. And most religions are against same-sex marriage. We are also prevailing on a national assembly to look into this issue because of its sensitivity. We remember when President Jonathan was in power, he rejected this bill, and that cost him his second term. He told them that his religion was against it.
The third point is the issue of abject poverty facing our people. Our people are very poor and there is hunger and starvation everywhere. You go and see our people begging because they don’t have what to eat. The government is responsible for providing food, shelter and security for its citizens. The federal government has failed in that direction because the North is in abject poverty. We are urging them to do something urgently. The cost of food is rising by the day; everything is expensive. The northerners cannot afford three square meals. We are advising the president, and I know he has a listening ear because he is a democrat; if his cabinet members are not advising well, he should drop them and appoint people with good ideas to help him run the government the way Nigerians will be happy.
What will you say about the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy?
Yes, local government autonomy is right. The local government is the arm of government that is close to the people. People in the villages cannot see the governor or the president, but they can easily walk into the chairman’s office and lay out their complaints. Another thing is that the locals will now get their funds directly, which will help them improve their well-being and bring development to the area. So, we welcome the decision of the Supreme Court.
How will you react to the comment of the Zamfara State Governor,Dauda Lawal, at the recent security summit in Katsina State that northerners should be able to solve the security problem by exposing the sponsors of banditry?
I concur with what the governor said; the governor should have expanded it. These people are known because we live with them. Some of them are even living in metropolitan cities, but the people who know them cannot expose them because of fear of being killed or victimised or whatever.
These people are well-known to the security personnel. Some areas are no-go zones; the Zamfara State governor refused to disclose these areas. But in his position as governor, he can organise a town hall meeting and bring all the traditional rulers to the discussion. Peace can be achieved if everybody is brought together.
We have to come out as northerners and Nigeria to tell ourselves the truth. All those that are known should be picked up.
The governor of Katsina State, Umaru Radda, said we live with informants. The informants are there, and the people close to them are also afraid of the informants, but the security watch that the governor formed started picking the informants and dealing with them. That is why the insecurity in Katsina State has reduced. But, unfortunately, the remaining bandits in Katsina will always invite other bandits from Zamfara, Niger and even Niger Republic to come and assist them.
This is the issue: all hands must be on the desk. The traditional rulers and all security personnel must collectively work together. And I assure you that if there had been proper intelligent channels and sharing, this could have been history by now. Let the military and other security agencies be serious and banditry will be a thing of the past. If today the president will call all the service chiefs and give them matching orders to bring the bandit leaders in two weeks or within a certain period, and if they don’t, he should retire them, elieve me, this war will end. So, the president must be very hard on the military personnel.
On the issue wof poverty and agriculture, the north indeed has a lot of natural resources in the north and something you don’t know is that this banditry is associated with the natural resources the North has. Some people will not want the banditry to end because they are benefiting from it directly or indirectly. Go to Zamfara, which is full of gold and so manyw places in the north that have natural resources in abundance.
We are even suspecting foreign intervention in this issue. These people are sponsored by some organisations. If the federal government can identify these organisations and deal with them, I assure you that the north will be okay. We all go to farms, but for now, the bandits stopped the farmers from farming. In the areas where farmers are allowed to farm, they have to pay exorbitant amounts. So, all these things put together are our problem in the north and they contribute to poverty. Early in the morning, you wake up and see people begging at your door for what to eat.
Poverty must be addressed and the only way is for the government to push grains to the market for everybody to buy. If the downtrodden can have what to eat, there would be no problem.
