The Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development a non-governmental organization has urged the Governors of the North West geopolitical zone not to dissipate their resources in organizing security summits and conferences that may likely not bring a lasting solution to the lingering security crises facing the region.
The group through a statement by its Executive Director Sani Abdullahi Wamban Shinkafi argued that, the problems in the zone require political will and pragmatic actions, not empty rhetoric as obtainable in the past 12 years which has not helped changed the narrative.
The group also argued that, the recent North West summit on security of life and livelihoods was a welcome development only if the governors would be spurred to implement people-oriented projects, ensure the security and welfare of the people for rapid development of the zone.
It added that, “It is obvious that the UNDP and other development partners cannot solve the problem of insecurity in the region unless home-grown solutions are scouted for”.
The group recalls that, “the remote causes of insecurity in the zone include corruption, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, poor governance, weak judicial system, weak security apparatus, porous borders, drug abuse, weak traditional institutions, influx of illegal Fulani ethnic allies through land borders and proliferation of small and lighter arms and ammunition by unauthorized persons”.
“It is wonderful that governors in the region have been receiving monthly statutory allocations from the Federal Government since the inception of democratic governance in 1999, yet the region is underdeveloped. The resources are carelessly misappropriated, misapplied and siphoned for personal enrichment”.
“Illiteracy is one of the major causes of armed banditry and related crimes. Most of the bandits are uneducated both in western and Islamic education” the statement added”.
“Leaders in the zone have failed to invest in education, in building primary and secondary schools, adult education and Almajiri schools.
“They left the children to roaming the streets begging, and sadly many of them were recruited into armed banditry, terrorism and other social crimes using some easier ways”.
“The existing schools are not renovated and equipped let alone building new schools. School teachers are not motivated and are underpaid. Many governors stopped paying NECO and WAEC fees and scholarships to local and international students. It is evident that the lack of political will by governors to develop the education sector in the region gave birth to the high rate of illiteracy in the zone” the group argued.
The group added further, “governors refused to invest in ago-allied industry that would have created jobs for millions of youths. If that is done, there would be agricultural extension workers who would educate farmers in modern farming techniques, processing and marketing of agricultural produce. If governors are committed to food production by providing tractors, harvesters, sprayers, insecticides, pesticides and farmers credit schemes, the region will feed the nation and export some agricultural produce”.
“Due to widespread armed banditry, cattle rustling, herders—farmers clashes, kidnapping for ransom, displacement of innocent people from their ancestral homes, millions of small and large-scale farmers deserted their farmlands which exacerbated food crisis in the region in particular and the nation in general”.
“The Bureau of Statistics recently released data that showed North West geopolitical zone has the highest number of poverty rate in Nigeria. Activities of bandits have brought economic stagnation in the region as people could no longer go about their legitimate business for fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits”.
“Many who were kidnapped sold their farmlands and houses to pay for ransom demanded by their captors. This further impoverished the people. Governors lack the political will to tackle the problem, instead they divert funds for development to use to buy votes during elections and bribe electoral officers to hang on to power”.
“It is obvious that corruption is the root cause of bad governance, unemployment, and banditry. Governors in the region receive monthly statutory allocations from the Federal Government, allot billions of naira as security votes and will not provide funds to conventional security agencies to crush terrorism in the region”.
“Security personnel in the zone are understaffed, poorly equipped and unappreciated. Sadly, most of the governors politicize insecurity and use it as conduit pipe to siphon funds for personal enrichment
