Sani: Good Governance, Solution to Security Challenges Bedeviling North West

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has said good governance was the solution to the security challenges bedeviling the North-West region.

The governor stated this yesterday when members of the Kaduna State Elders’ Forum (KEF) paid him a congratulatory visit following his recent affirmation as the duly elected governor by the Supreme Court.

Sani said poverty, illiteracy and unemployment were responsible for the security challenges that had crippled economic and social activities in zone.

He said the state government, with the support of the Defence Headquarters, has intensified military action against banditry and kidnapping in the state.

The governor added that the Defence headquarters has also promised to build two additional operation bases in the state, adding that his administration was also adopting good governance as the best non-kinetic solution to the problem.

“We are also looking at the non-kinetic approach to addressing the security challenges, but the issue of non-kinetic approach is not just about talking with the bandits, negotiating and asking them to submit their weapons, that is only one aspect of it.

“The most important aspect of non-kinetic approach is good governance,” the governor said.

He explained that, “No matter how much we talk and try to bring about peace, if we don’t look at the area of good governance, we will never end the problem of insecurity in Northern Nigeria in particular.

“People always talk about how the problem of insurgency was ended in the North-East, but insurgency is not the same with the problem of banditry and kidnapping that we have in the North-West.

“The North-East issue was about people that came from nowhere and talk about ideology of Boko. What we have in the North-West is an economic problem where people kidnap and ask for money.

“What brought about that? Hopelessness, lack of education, lack of economic prosperity. The problem of the North West is lack of education and financial inclusion.

“Over 85 per cent of the people in the North West are either not educated or financially excluded. So, there is poverty. If we don’t address the poverty by supporting our farmers and increase productivity, we will not address the problem of insecurity.”

He disclosed that the state was expecting a $28m support from Kuwait to address the problems of over 600,000 out of school children.

He said he would be signing a bill for the establishment of Security Trust Fund on Tuesday as part of efforts to address insecurity.

The KEF, led by Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd) and Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, congratulated the governor for his electoral victory and commended him for his governance approach, especially, the focus on developing rural areas.