Fayemi Leads NGF’s Delegation to Kaduna over Insecurity

The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, yesterday  led a two-man delegation of the Forum to Kaduna State to commiserate with the government and people of the state on the recent Abuja-Kaduna train attack which claimed many lives, injured many people while several others were kidnapped.

Addressing the Kaduna Governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, the NGF Chairman expressed deep sympathy to Kaduna State and its people and described the attack as “mind-boggling” because of the huge number of casualties and other fatalities.

Regrettably, he added, the criminals were audacious enough to also take away some hostages which according to the NGF Chairman raises the state of insecurity in the region to the cusp of uncertainties, which has virtually thrown Kaduna in the mix.

The Ekiti State governor wondered if the entire crime was the handiwork of some enemies of the state government or its governor who is transforming the state to their chagrin and are therefore working to distract the state from its path to development.

Fayemi said that everything was currently unnecessarily revolving around 2023, the election year, “which we are not even sure we will be alive to see with the prevailing state of circumstances,” and advised that more should be done towards securing the country.

He said the North-west of the country had been a region of calm and consensus before now and emphasised that whatever it is, to do, governors will continue to put heads together along with the President whom he added is himself very worried about the sequence of attacks to bring sanity back to the country.

The Ekiti State governor also concurred with the Kaduna governor on his solution to banditry in which he has always advocated that federal government takes proactive action by going after the bandits right in their enclaves and rooting them out.

“I agree that we as governors must join hands with the President to deal ruthlessly with the bandits, that they be crushed, as you have always advocated,” concluding that the primary purpose of government is ensuring the safety of lives and property but the impression in the minds of most Nigerians presently is that nothing was being done by the security agencies in the country to bring an end to this.

However, Fayemi said, “we are here to commiserate with you, your government and the people of Kaduna State, to show solidarity with them and align with the governor who as a public servant all his life, has been a focused leader from who “we must learn, to ensure peace in our communities.”

Before announcing a donation of N50m the NGF chairman admonished Governor el-Rufai not to relent in his efforts at building the state and told him to continue to be the leader that he has always been, concluding emphatically, that regardless of whatever anyone thinks, “Nigeria is worth dying for.”

The Kaduna State governor who looked emotional during the discussion welcomed the party and ceded the opportunity to respond to his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, whom he said has been in the forefront of finding solutions to the problem from the beginning.

The deputy governor also welcomed the delegation to Kaduna State and called the train attack a demoralising experience which she prayed the state never witnessed again.

She said the NGF and its members have been such good friends whose support the state values and places high premium on.

She pledged that the Kaduna State Government will continue to do its best in supporting the security forces in the state to accomplish the task of securing lives and property while still working hard to find lasting solutions to the problem, in such a way that it never repeats itself.

When he finally spoke, el-Rufai disclosed that there were 61 Kaduna indigenes still recuperating from the train attack, including a top government official and his 8-months pregnant wife and further stated that the bandits are currently hiding somewhere in Niger State.

El-Rufai regretted that the attack was avoidable because the state government had tipped the Nigeria Railways Corporation twice (NRC) about the impending attack pleading with the NRC to suspend night trains and when it didn’t, the government went to the Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, but still their complaints were not heeded.

The Kaduna State governor who advised that the situation should not be treated with levity also hinted that the state of things in the North-west is worse than the Boko Haram of the North-east and that there is also an international dimension to it.

As a first shot, el-Rufai brandished a letter which he said the state was writing to the president on the matter. He thanked the NGF for its efforts and donations and wished the delegation a safe journey home. Governor Muhammadu Badaru of Jigawa State accompanied the NGF Chairman on the trip.