Tackle Insecurity before Agriculture, Katsina Emir Tells FG
The Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, yesterday admonished the federal government to find a lasting solution to the killings of innocent Nigerians by bandits before embarking on any agricultural project.
The monarch said many farmers in the northern part of country have abandoned their farms for fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits, urging the federal government to devise workable means to end the menace.
Usman stated this yesterday when he received the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, in company of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at his palace in Katsina.
The traditional ruler described the menace as not only worrisome but unacceptable, saying: “The government must ensure it put all measures in place to stop the killings.”
The Emir accused politicians of aiding the current banditry in some parts of the country, alleging that “there are politicians who are perpetrating this killings and they are within the government. What will you gain from kidnapping and killing people?”
According to the monarch, “I have not seen a country like this. How do we live like this? We are living like animals. Nobody is safe. Magaji Garin Daura was kidnapped four days ago. We don’t have resources to fight the bandits, but the government has all the resources to fight them.
“Many farmers and herdsmen have abandoned their farms; so, minister please tell the president that we need security in this country. All these projects you are initiating will not be sustainable if there is no security. So, for me, security is paramount than any other project for now.”
He explained that those who pose obstacles, which are hindering Nigeria’s progress must not be tolerated, saying matters like insecurity are matters that should be accorded national priority, as he noted that security “must be handle with all seriousness.”
Responding, the minister told the Emir that the government was working hard through job creation, especially on agriculture to reduce and ultimately eradicate the threat for the survival of the country.