After exhaustive deliberations at its meeting in Kaduna, the Northern Speakers’ Forum lamented the high rate of insecurity in the region, while tasking the Federal Government to mobilize security to the Northern part of Borno, presently under full control of insurgents.
The call was contained in a communique issued and jointly signed by the Communique Drafting Committee, Rt. Honourable Engineer Hamisu Ibrahim Chigari (Chairman) and Rt. Honourable Saleh S. Yipmong, Rt. Hon (Dr) P.M Mackonde (Members), made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday June 22, 2021.
Below are excerpts from the communique:
“The Forum calls on the Federal Government to provide more security to the Northern part of Borno State to take over the control of Guzamala Local Government Area that is under the full control of the insurgents”.
“The Forum also calls for deployment of more military personnel in Abadam and Baga Local Government Areas of the State to check the nefarious activities of the insurgents,” it said.
The Forum decried the spate of insecurity in the country particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria; and while acknowledging the constraints and limitations of the state governors as regards to the control of security agencies in the country, it called on all the Executive Governors in Northern Nigeria to eschew differences among themselves and unite to fight the menace of different forms of insecurity in the North for peaceful co-existence of our people and the development of the region;
The Forum also called on the relevant stakeholders to reconsider their priorities in favour of security of lives and property of their people.
“While provision of infrastructural facilities and other developmental projects are equally important, the Forum wants budget preparation to skew in favour of security of lives and property. This is so, as security of lives and property is the basis for any government;
“The Forum calls on all the relevant stakeholders in the country to use the instrumentality of the ongoing Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for community policing for better security of life and property of the citizens,” the Communique said.
The Forum said that it supports the devolution of powers by way of decongesting the Exclusive Legislative List for Concurrent Legislative List in the ongoing Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
The Forum advocated for more empowerment schemes that will ultimately engage the youths and take them off the streets thereby enhancing the security of life and property of the people in the region;
They also sought collaboration and partnership with public and private organizations to bring back moribund industries to life.
They suggested that security experts and professionals should be engaged to train vigilantes and other local security groups to effectively compliment the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the country;
Similarly, the forum called for more synergy between Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to evaluate efficacy.
The Forum commended and appreciated the efforts of the Chairman Northern Speakers’ Forum Rt Hon Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani for initiating and hosting this meeting to address the menace of insecurity problems in the region;
They also commended the Executive Governor, Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu and the Security agencies in Kebbi State for their swift actions that resulted in securing the release of some kidnapped students and staff of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, kebbi State.
“The Forum also commends the Executive Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai for providing a permanent Office space for the Northern Speakers’ Forum,” it added.
The Forum therefore, called on the Federal Government to re-enforce the battle against insecurity by recruiting more personnel into the Nigerian Armed Forces and Nigeria Police Force .
They also called for intensive prayers to seek for divine intervention as a measure for addressing the security situation in the region.
