Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has said that Nigeria needed a determined and purposeful leader with the political will to finally rid the menace of insecurity and in banditry attacks in the northern region.
Speaking when he received the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who paid him a condolence visit on Sunday over the death of the State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Rabe Nasir.
Masari explained that Nigeria as a country was being confronted with serious insecurity challenges that have global, regional and natural dimensions to it, stating that the government over the years has invested hugely to tackle the menace
He said: “If we have invested in education over 50 years ago the problem today would have been different. The nature of insecurity would have been different but unfortunately we did not invest enough in education, especially in this part of the country. And we also did not take into consideration the population explosion in this part of the country.
“I do believe that the kind of problem being faced is possible to be solved by man, what is required a leadership that is purposeful, political will and determination to confront the problem and solve it.”
He added that his administration has taken several measures which have helped in reducing the spate of banditry in the state, adding that only Batsari and Faskari local government areas now face little challenges.
On his part, the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, sympathised with the people and government of Katsina state over the death of the commissioner, praying God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
“The executive governor has introduced him (Rabe Nasir) to me as one of the most reliable and resourceful individuals from Katsina, with a very broad knowledge of Nigeria as a country. I sympathise with you for the loss. We share the grief, but only God is the giver of life and the taker.
“Evil men may interfere and try to tempt Allah, but He is the giver and He is the taker. It has been written as it happened, don’t let your faith in God Almighty shake. They’re temptations coming from evil and evil-doers.
“Equally, it’s a very trying period; Katsina is going through a lot of sudden insecurity. Please, whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us. Let us be vigilant. Let us help our country. Let us preach peace and a change of mind to those who are determined to bring terrorism, kidnapping and evil-doing to our midst, to stop.
“We urge the federal government of Muhammadu Buhari as the commander in chief of the armed forces, to use all means necessary to eliminate these people. It’s not easy to get to the seed of a palm carnal, as they say in my native Yoruba land; it’s with a cracker.
“And we are going to support the president until he gets the cracker to get the seed of evil out of the entire territory of Nigeria. We’ll continue to pray with you to conquer the evil of sudden kidnapping, maiming and killing of innocent lives. It’s not tolerable, Nigeria will win the war and evil will not thrive. What they don’t understand is that this country is larger and greater than many of us,” Tibunu said.
He then urged every Nigerian to be vigilant and pay attention to whatever is happening in their surroundings, appealing to the public to continue to provide information to the government to overcome the menace.
