Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has said the North, which used to be the oasis of peace, has in recent times been grappling with problems of insecurity and poverty.
Sani who was represented by his deputy, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, stated this at the executive committee meeting of the Northern Traditional Council.
The meeting was well attended by the chairmen of the traditional rulers from each of the 19 Northern States, as well as the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG).
The governor, however, said that the way out is for the states in the region to forge strong partnerships on security and other developmental issues and concerns, as well as establish a command and control centre to coordinate the joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements within the region.
“This region used to be not only an oasis of peace and stability but also the food basket of the nation. Unfortunately, this same region has now become the epicentre of terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings. Our local economy has been destroyed. The lives so far lost are simply mind-boggling.
“Our people are deeply worried; they are asking questions, they want answers, and they yearn for actions. Leaders, whether political or traditional, must therefore brace up to face these challenges.
“For us political leaders, we have a responsibility to frontally address challenges, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, poverty, and unemployment. Priority attention must also be given to infrastructural development.
“States in the North must forge strong partnerships on security and other developmental issues and concerns. Agriculture, power, and infrastructure, especially roads, are critical areas where we must collaborate to revitalise our economy and address the challenges of poverty and insecurity.
“Going forward, northern states must develop a common strategy and operational plan to tackle insecurity. We must establish a command and control centre to coordinate our joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements within this region“.
He said northern traditional rulers must take the lead in the execution of psychological operations geared towards winning the hearts and minds of the people at the grassroots, stressing that they have a huge responsibility to mobilise and sensitise the people to support security forces to degrade terrorists and bandits. „We must establish an early warning system and intelligence-gathering mechanisms within our communities,“ he added.
“Our main weapons must be people because terrorists, bandits, and insurgents also live among us. Traditional rulers have bigger roles to play within our communities. We must restore the glory of the traditional institution if we want better for our security and stability,” the governor said.
The director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi, who was represented by the state director of security, Alhaji Abdul Enenche, stressed the need for traditional institutions to play their role by identifying threats before they start manifesting.
The DSS boss called for collective collaboration among all stakeholders, just as he lamented the role of informants as a challenge to the fight against insecurity.
“The informant keeps frustrating the role of security agencies. They live amongst communities, and this brings to mind the role of traditional rulers who can assist security agencies in fishing out insider threats,” he said.
