President Bola Tinubu has declared that his administration will not rest on its oars until banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity were completely eliminated from the country.
He said that at the moment, the nation is witnessing a turning point, as the strategies being adopted by security forces, including rules of engagement employed were already beginning to yield results.
The President spoke on Monday when he declared open the North-West Peace and Security Summit with the theme, 'Regional Cooperation for Securing Lives and Livelihoods in North West Nigeria,' organised by the North-West Governors Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Government House, Katsina State.
President Tinubu, who was represented at the two-day event by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated: "What we are witnessing across the North is an explosion of these damaged relationships, and we have come to say: enough is enough. Our first decision was to task our brothers from the North-West and the North-East with the defence and security of the region.
"Who else can better understand the complexity of the crisis of a region than the people themselves? This has been a turning point, and I am proud to share that the strategies we have employed have begun to provide redemption. We are not slowing down until we achieve our aim."
Delivering the President's address titled, "Securing Stability: Uniting for Peace in North-West Nigeria," VP Shettima in a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, explained why Northern Nigeria is always considered globally as one unified people, saying the region's unity is firmly "rooted in a culture and bond of shared interests and common pursuits".
President Tinubu described the two-day Summit as a communal gathering to address what he termed "the afflictions that have threatened the stability and unity" of the North.
"Beyond the economic rationale that drove the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, the formation of our great nation was inspired by the need for mutual protection. But, I ask, how can we achieve this sacred objective if one part is afflicted?
"We have long established that whatever ails any part of this federation destabilizes the other. So, the issue of national security in the North-West is not a sectional agenda. We promised to make Nigeria safer, and this aim has been our topmost priority since we came to office over a year ago," he said.
Noting that the bold steps taken to combat the security challenges his administration inherited were mapped out even before embarking on the journey, President Tinubu observed that achieving security and peace would require that the historical injustices that have torn communities in Nigeria apart are fully addressed.
"We must also reverse the institutional frailties governing security and the economic dysfunctions that create vulnerabilities to crime. We must also counter the ideological mischief that has pervaded the discourse of peace and security in the region," he added.
The President further noted that the Peace and Security Summit became necessary to proffer solutions to insecurity and ensure a region "where every trade is safe, where every group is at peace, and where the policing and military presence of the state is optimal."
In order to come up with pragmatic solutions to security challenges in the North West, President Tinubu said his administration adopted kinetic and non-kinetic interventions designed to build the perimeter of the nation's security infrastructure.
He mentioned the Pulaku resettlement initiative as one of the non-kinetic interventions rolled out by his administration, saying it is a timely solution to address some of the root causes of disputes and insecurity in the North-West.
He explained: "Our choice of Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna States for the pilot phase is strategically planned to create positive, nationwide transformations. The comprehensive plan includes building residences, roads, schools, and essential facilities, fulfilling our pledge to the nation.
"This effort symbolises our commitment to sustainable development and a unified, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria, transforming our diversity into strength. Today, I believe we are going to continue comparing our ideas and thoughts to not only review our strategies and improve upon them to make the states in the North-West stable and peaceful parts of the nation, but to assure ourselves that we cannot achieve the triumph we desire without any part of the nation being secure."
Earlier in his welcome address, Katsina State Governor, Umaru Radda, lamented that the activities of banditry in the state and other parts of the North West, including Niger State, have cast shadows on most of the communities, crippling social economic activities in the areas.
Governor Radda, who is the chairman of the North-West Governors' Forum, noted that the forum will not allow the menace of banditry to defile the region.
He said, "As leaders, we must adopt a multifaceted approach that includes robust intelligence gathering, community policing and deploying advanced security technology. Furthermore, to enhance the capacity of our national security forces, we will continue to improve it and provide adequate resources.
"To effectively combat banditry, we need to strengthen intelligence gathering networks. This means improving our surveillance system, investing in modern technology such as drones and satellite imagery and enhancing coordination among our security agencies. We must establish the most efficient communication to ensure timely response to threats."
Governor Radda thanked President Tinubu for the efforts in tackling banditry in the North West and other parts of the country, saluting the efforts of the security agencies.
He noted that his administration has provided N10 billion grants to Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen local industries and create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.
On his part, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the current administration of President Tinubu, are committed to ending armed conflicts in Nigeria.
He, however, stressed the need for synergy between security agencies and State Governors, adding that the government is open for collaboration among security agencies, and that in the days ahead, the federal government will meet with the Governors to deliberate on the outcome of the Summit.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, said the traditional institutions were always willing to cooperate with the federal and state governments to tackle the security challenges.
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The royal father called on the citizens and communities to join hands with the government and security agencies in combating insecurity in the country.
Also, Germany's Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, who was represented at the event, congratulated the federal and state governments for organising the Summit.
She assured of the support of the German government for Nigeria in the fight against insecurity, just as she emphasized the need to reactivate traditional solutions to the conflict in the North West.
For her part, the UNDP Country Representative to Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, called for investment in the youth with a view to channeling their potential towards profitable ventures, even as she emphasized the importance of regional cooperation.
The Summit was also attended by the immediate-past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari; Governors Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State as well as the Deputy Governors of Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano States. Also, federal lawmakers from the region were in attendance.
Others were former governors of Katsina State, Aminu Masari and Ibrahim Shema; Minister of Arts and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa'i Abubakar; Emir of Daura, HRH Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar; Emir of Katsina, HRH. Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman; representatives of other security chiefs, and members of the Diplomatic Corps, among others.
