Northern Leaders Responsible For Insecurity In North – Matawalle

Zamfara State Governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, on Sunday,
said northern leaders are responsible for the insecurity ravaging
the region.

Matawalle made the observation while delivering a paper titled
“The Fight Against Banditry in Northwest Nigeria: Challenges and
Solutions” at the inauguration of the new executives of Arewa Media
Writers Association in Kaduna.

He said the northern leaders were responsible for the plight of
their region, which includes horrible crimes like rape, killings of
women and children, kidnapping, highway robbery and other gruesome
atrocities in the northern region.

According to him, the north lacked responsible leadership to
steer it through the uncharted waters, adding that the ruling
elites have no vision for the region beyond gaining political
power.

The governor said when he took over as governor on May 29th,
2019, the State had already been mired in a serious security crisis
for over a decade, marked by banditry, livestock rustling,
kidnapping among other crimes.

He said the State was in the news for bloodletting, fire,
pillage, and significant displacement of people, particularly those
living in rural areas, on daily basis.

Matawalle, represented by the State’s Commissioner for
Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji, said the historic, economic,
social and cultural ties between the dominant communities of Fulani
and Hausa were ruptured; farming activities across the State
halted, and commercial activities crippled.

He said: “With poverty on the increase and food security
seriously affected by the crisis, the State was on the verge of a
catastrophic social eruption capable of destabilizing our
communities and the northwest sub-region.

“Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs are the hot spot of banditry even
though there is no mining activities going there.

“Rural banditry in Zamfara and other parts of the north, in my
opinion, is a result of the progressive degradation of our moral
standards and a culture of greed fed by an unfettered need for
material goods.

“As shown in this presentation, the culture of cattle raiding by
pastoralist groups is not something new. It was practiced in the
days gone by to demonstrate courage and bravery, and no violence
was used.”

He said the major challenges to peace efforts in the region
included reluctance by the affected states to embrace peace
dialogue, which would have deprived the recalcitrant bandits
currently tormenting the people of safe corridors across the
region.

He lamented that there was a lack of support from a section of
politicians who wish to take advantage of the situation to achieve
political gains, noting that there was a need for the federal
government to key into the peace initiative so that appropriate
resources can be allocated to achieved that.

He added, “We have all seen how the elites in the South-East and
Southwest responded in unison to all matters concerning their
regions’ development.

“We have seen how they have a defined agenda and are relentless
in their pursuit of regional development.”

According to him, the war against banditry in the North West
would remain a significant security challenge that has the
potential to swallow the region and the country.

He appealed to leaders of the region to wake up from their
lethargy and unite in combating the grave challenge, saying there
was the need to stop politicising the situation.

Zamfara State Governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, on Sunday,
said northern leaders are responsible for the insecurity ravaging
the region.

Matawalle made the observation while delivering a paper titled
“The Fight Against Banditry in Northwest Nigeria: Challenges and
Solutions” at the inauguration of the new executives of Arewa Media
Writers Association in Kaduna.

He said the northern leaders were responsible for the plight of
their region, which includes horrible crimes like rape, killings of
women and children, kidnapping, highway robbery and other gruesome
atrocities in the northern region.

According to him, the north lacked responsible leadership to
steer it through the uncharted waters, adding that the ruling
elites have no vision for the region beyond gaining political
power.

The governor said when he took over as governor on May 29th,
2019, the State had already been mired in a serious security crisis
for over a decade, marked by banditry, livestock rustling,
kidnapping among other crimes.

He said the State was in the news for bloodletting, fire,
pillage, and significant displacement of people, particularly those
living in rural areas, on daily basis.

Matawalle, represented by the State’s Commissioner for
Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji, said the historic, economic,
social and cultural ties between the dominant communities of Fulani
and Hausa were ruptured; farming activities across the State
halted, and commercial activities crippled.

He said: “With poverty on the increase and food security
seriously affected by the crisis, the State was on the verge of a
catastrophic social eruption capable of destabilizing our
communities and the northwest sub-region.

“Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs are the hot spot of banditry even
though there is no mining activities going there.

“Rural banditry in Zamfara and other parts of the north, in my
opinion, is a result of the progressive degradation of our moral
standards and a culture of greed fed by an unfettered need for
material goods.

“As shown in this presentation, the culture of cattle raiding by
pastoralist groups is not something new. It was practiced in the
days gone by to demonstrate courage and bravery, and no violence
was used.”

He said the major challenges to peace efforts in the region
included reluctance by the affected states to embrace peace
dialogue, which would have deprived the recalcitrant bandits
currently tormenting the people of safe corridors across the
region.

He lamented that there was a lack of support from a section of
politicians who wish to take advantage of the situation to achieve
political gains, noting that there was a need for the federal
government to key into the peace initiative so that appropriate
resources can be allocated to achieved that.

He added, “We have all seen how the elites in the South-East and
Southwest responded in unison to all matters concerning their
regions’ development.

“We have seen how they have a defined agenda and are relentless
in their pursuit of regional development.”

According to him, the war against banditry in the North West
would remain a significant security challenge that has the
potential to swallow the region and the country.

He appealed to leaders of the region to wake up from their
lethargy and unite in combating the grave challenge, saying there
was the need to stop politicising the situation.