President Bola Tinubu has vowed not to rest until banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity are eliminated from the country.
According to Tinubu, the country is witnessing a turning point, as the strategies being adopted by security forces, including rules of engagement, are beginning to yield results.
The President spoke 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 (NWGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Government House, Katsina State.
The summit was also attended by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Governors Umar Namadi (Jigawa State), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto State) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), deputy governors of Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano states as well as federal lawmakers from the region.
Represented at the two-day event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President 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 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 entitled, ‘Securing Stability: Uniting for Peace in North West Nigeria’, 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”.
Tinubu described the summit as a communal gathering to address “the afflictions that have threatened the stability and unity” of the North.
Noting that the bold steps taken to combat the security challenges his administration inherited were mapped out, even before embarking on the journey, Tinubu observed that achieving security and peace would require that the historical injustices that tore communities apart are fully addressed.
Governor Umaru Radda of Katsina lamented that banditry in the state and other parts of the North West, including Niger, cast shadows on most of the communities, crippling social economic activities in the areas.
Radda, who is the Chairman of NWGF, noted that the forum would not allow banditry to defile the region. On his part, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, assured that the Armed Forces, under the current administration, are committed to ending armed conflicts in Nigeria.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, said the traditional institutions were always willing to cooperate with the federal and state governors to tackle the security challenges. He 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 that the German government would support Nigeria in the fight against insecurity, just as she emphasised the need to reactivate traditional solutions to the conflict in the North West.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Representative to Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, called for investment in the youth to channel their potential to profitable ventures, even as she emphasised the importance of regional cooperation.
