Sultan of Sokoto expressed worries over widespread of poverty and hunger in the North.
By Aminu Dalhatu
The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has express worried over the increasing level of insecurity, wide spread of poverty and hunger in the Northern region.
He stated this at the 6th Executive Committee Meeting of Northern Traditional Rulers Council held in Kaduna.
According to him, Nigeria has reached a level where people are very agitated, hungry and angry, stressing that, millions of Nigerian youths are left without jobs and foods.
Alhaji Saad Abubakar pointed out that, the two monsters that have been harassing Northerners were insecurity and poverty.
“We have had such meetings before with the Northern Governors, so many times at Kashim Ibrahim House. We have now entered into a new cycle of leadership, some new Governors have come on board, while some are having their second term and still we at faced with these insecurity issues. To make matters worse, we are faced with rising level of poverty of most of our people; lack of normal sources of livelihood by the common man to have even a good meal a day”
Alhaji Abubakar remark that, insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that that they cannot fold their arms and said everything is okay.
“I have said so many times, that we never lack solution to our problems, what we lack is implementation, because we meet today, we brought out so many beautiful ideas on how to solve our problems, we go back to our various places and go to bed, leaving such solutions here in this conference hall. So, how do we implement them?
“This is why we invited the leadership Coalition of Northern Groups CNG to come and interact with us on the outcome of similar meeting they organized in Abuja. We also invited the Arewa Consultative Forum ACF to be part of us and talk to us too, because as elders, some of whom have been in politics, who have done a lot for the North and the Country. At the end of the meeting, we believe we will come up with various suggestions on how to resolve our numerous problems in the North.
“Education is important, so whatever issue you want to bring us here, you must talk about education, you must talk about health issue and of the two monsters that have been harassing all of us here, that is insecurity and poverty.
“We must find jobs for our teeming youths that are sitting idle and I have said it so many times, we sitting on a keg of gunpowder, having teeming youths millions of them, without jobs, without food, we are looking for trouble.
“But, we thank Allah we believe in ourselves, we believe in Almighty Allah to bring succour to all our problems and we will keep on praying and urging our political leaders, who we believe will do something better.
“We are only advisers to the political leaders, that is all we can do, but if we are empowered and as strong as the Governors by the constitution, by the amount of funds they get get fro the Federal and states revenues, we can also a lot”
“However, we are ready to work with the Governors, because we believe in them, we believe in what they are doing and must work with them. And if the Governors too want to have peace and stability in their states, they must work with the traditional leaders.
“I believe at the end of this meeting, we should have very good suggestions to our political leaders, to our security chiefs, that when such is implemented, we will have a better North and at the same time have a better Nigeria”
Also Speaking at the meeting, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Uba Sani who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe said, the North which use to be the oasis of peace, has in the recent times been grappling with the problem of insecurity.
According to him, states in the Northern region must forge strong partnership on security and other developmental issues and concerns, as well as to establish a command and control centre to coordinate joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements within the region.
“This region used to not only oasis of peace and stability, but also the food basket of the Nation. Unfortunately this same region has now become the epicenter of terrorism, banditry and kidnappings. Our local economy has been destroyed. The lives so far lost is simply mind bugling.
“Our people are deeply worried, they are asking questions, they want answers, they yearn for actions. Leaders whether political or traditional must therefore brace up to face these challenges. For us political leaders, we have a responsibility to frontally address challenges, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, poverty and unemployment. Priority attention must also be given to infrastructural development.
Malam Uba Sani also revealed that, Northern traditional rulers must take the lead in the execution of psychological operations geared towards winning the hearts and minds of the people at the grassroots.
Earlier, the Director-General Department of State Services DSS, Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi who was represented by the State Director of Security, Alhaji Abdul Enenche stressed the need for the traditional institution to play their role by identify threats.
The meeting was well attended by Chairmen of the traditional rulers from each of the 19 Northern States, as well as leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum and Coalition of Northern Groups.
The meeting has a themed, “Enhanced Security as panacea for stability and development of the North.
