Yahaya: FG Should Review Immediate, Remote Causes of Plateau Crises
Says crises not new Farmers now ready to return to farms in Niger despite insecurity, Bago reveals
Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has said the crises rocking Plateau State were not new and therefore urged government to review their immediate and remote causes.
Yahaya stated this yesterday while speaking with newsmen after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
The governor further thanked the president for sending Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kaduna and Plateau States, in order to get the details of what transpired at Tudun Biri, Kaduna State as well as Bokkos and Barikin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
“In my capacity as the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, I praise the steps taken by the president in order to get to the root of what happened in these two states and the pledge he made that the right action would be taken to prevent future occurrence of these incidents. Above all, I am thanking him for the support given to victims or survivors."
Speaking particularly on the Plateau crisis, Yahaya said it was not a new thing but there was need for a review of the immediate and remote causes in order to find a lasting solution.
"Despite the fact that this matter has been there for long, it is time for stakeholders to have a roundtable and tell each other the truth and then take deliberate steps towards loving each other. Before now, the people were living in peace and going about their normal businesses.
Some of the major issues that seemed to allow the problem to persist include issues like farmerherder clashes, the clamour for indigenes versus settlers. But the world over, if any society or country doesn’t welcome visitors, such a nation will not progress. After all, we here are one and the same family."
Also, yesterday, Niger State Governor, Hon. Abdulahi Bago, who equally met with the President, said despite the security situation in his state, the farmers were ready to return to their farms for the dry season farming.
Bago said he was at the State House to update the president with what he was doing in his state.
"You know, Niger State is now the leading state in terms of the food security initiative of Mr. President, and there are some initiatives we have started we're about to do a total of 250,000 hectares dry season farming, which we've already signed an agreement with some companies for off-take and just to keep him up to speed with what we're doing in agriculture," he said.
On the development in the pact between Niger State and the federal government, he said, "The federal government if you have listened carefully to Mr. President's New Year's speech, you would have seen the emphasis on agriculture and also the 500,000 hectares the government is planning to farm this 2024.
“And Niger State has also provided itself as a pilot state for that project, and that we are also ambitious to also match with the federal government 500,000 for 500,000."
Asked what the President's reaction was to his farming initiative, Bago said, "He is positive about it, he is very delighted and happy with what we're doing and he has given us his blessing and encouragement."