Ifeanyi Ibeh
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has reiterated that his administration will not engage in negotiations with bandits who unleash terror in parts of the state.
He spoke on Wednesday when he participated in a procession organized by the Coalition of Zamfara Youths, tagged ‘Walk for Peace.’
A statement made available to The Guardian on Thursday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said that the activity was part of Democracy Day celebrations.
The statement noted that the procession started at the Government House and ended at Freedom Square, where thousands gathered to demonstrate solidarity with the government in its fight against banditry.
In his remarks, Governor Lawal expressed government’s readiness to do everything possible to ensure the return of peace in all parts of the state, adding that, “I want to thank the coalition of youths for organizing such an important walk for peace because we need such initiatives at this trying time.
“We have a long history of being a peaceful people and state. However, in just a few years, things have changed drastically.
“This calls for reflection to see where we went wrong and make necessary adjustments. Security is everyone’s responsibility and we must cooperate and support the system.
“I have always repeated this: that you don’t negotiate from a position of weakness. We have seen how previous governments attempted the negotiation approach which only emboldened the bandits. We have decided to rule out any negotiations with bandits for this and other reasons.
“On this Democracy Day, and with Eid-el-Kabir around the corner, I am pleased to announce that I have approved the payment of June’s salary to Zamfara civil servants.
“In addition to the salary, we have fulfilled our promise of implementing the N30,000 minimum wage, as opposed to the usual seven thousand.
“I will continue working to develop our state further and support our people. We have made significant progress in security, education, agriculture, health, infrastructure, and empowerment, among other areas” the statement said.
