- Admits security challenges overwhelming for FG
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir can easily be considered an unhappy man now with regrets that Muslims are mostly behind the spiraling cases of the banditry and kidnapping across the country.
This is as he urged the Federal Government to do all within its powers to check the mounting challenges of insecurity and criminality that have continued to cripple economic activities and social life nationwide.
In Governor Bala’s views, the soul-searching time is now time and fellow Muslims must be courageous enough to collaborate with security agencies in exposing and arresting criminals, especially bandits and kidnappers that are tormenting innocent Nigerians and the society.
The Governor, who fielded questions from journalists at the Ramat House immediately after the Eid-el-Fitr prayers said; “We know these bandits; we know where they stay and what they do, sometimes, they are aided and abated by us.
“We hope and pray that Allah has exculpated our sins and we are brand new today and I have already sent out my message that, as a nation, we need to reflect deeply on our common existence because we are challenged by so many aspects of misdemeanours, crime and criminality and as a Muslim, most of it are coming from us. As members of the Islamic faith that is the issue of banditry, kidnapping and the rest.
“We must be very courageous to say it and that is not something that is acceptable in the tenets of Islam; something that is very incongruous to the values of Islam and we should fear God because we don’t keep ourselves and our communities. We should have a change of heart.”
However, the Governor noted the collaboration of all Nigerians is required to effectively tackle the insecurity problem, saying; “Certainly, it is not just the responsibility of the federal government alone, but that of the states, the local governments, the traditional institutions, our major leaders, stakeholders, we are all Policemen today.
“We should fish them out because the Police, given their numbers and dearth of human capital, cannot fight this war alone. They are already overwhelmed and I am calling in the federal government to work with us as governors and local governments because that is where the solution lies.”
Also, Governor Bala said the Federal Government’s security architecture has failed not due to any compromise or breaches, but because the “situation is quite overwhelming.”
According to him; “I hope we will sit down as a country to reflect and make sure we bring solutions and we should restrain in our own responses and utterances because this country is so united; this country is so interwoven; and if there is any breakages here and there as being mooted by some people, the monumental humanitarian crises will be better imagined. I can’t imagine how it will be, but certainly, it will be a huge challenge for the country.”
On the Federal Government’s decision to reintroduce health protocols over the new COVID-19 variant, the governor said; “We should be very careful with the economy. We should be able to grow it; we should be able to have a round table understanding of our problems rather than escalating it on the pages of newspapers and the media.”
For this year’s Sallah celebrations, he said; “We are very grateful to God, it (Sallah) has come at a moment we ought to have a sober reflection but we praise Allah that we are celebrating in peace and not in pieces. The Ramadan has been a period of prayers and devotion.”
