President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that his administration will not rest on its oars until banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity are completely eliminated from the country.
He said at the moment, the nation is witnessing a turning point, as the strategies being adopted by security forces, including rules of engagement employed are 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 Governor’s Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Government House, Katsina State.
President Tinubu who was represented at the 2-day event by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated that what Nigeria is witnessing is an explosion of damaged relationships, saying government’s first decision was to task brothers from the North-West and the North-East with the defence and security of the region.
Delivering the President’s address titled, “Securing Stability: Uniting for Peace in North-West Nigeria,” VP Shettima 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 2-day Summit as a communal gathering to address what he termed “the afflictions that have threatened the stability and unity” of the North.
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.”
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.
Katsina State Governor, Umaru Radda, lamented that the activities of bandits 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.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
