The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) have expressed worries over the rising insecurity bedeviling the country, especially the North-west region.
The Chairman of the Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Katsina, said his counterparts are tired and frustrated of the issues of banditry and kidnapping currently facing the country.
Fayemi made this assertion when he led Governors of Sokoto, Kebbi and Jigawa states on a solidarity visit to Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, at the Government House Katsina, on Tuesday.
He explained that Nigeria Governors would be tough on banditry, kidnapping and other criminality in order to tackle the carnage and find a lasting solution to the prevailing security challenges facing farming communities in the zone.
Fayemi, however, urged the governors to take away young Nigerians from the merchants of death who are using them as canon fodders for the criminal brigandage by providing them with alternative means of livelihood and support system in their states.
“For us, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), we believe that we not only have to be on top of banditry, kidnapping and criminality generally, but we also have to be on top of the causes of these problems,” he said.
“Social inequality and poverty are key issues and we need to ensure that our governments, our states pry away our young people from the merchants of death who are using them as cannon fodder for these criminal brigandage.
“We can only do that through providing them with alternative means of livelihood and support system that will not entice them to these elements that are endangering the whole of our country… We are all tired, we are all frustrated that these issues are happening.”
Fayemi said governors must work with President Muhammadu Buhari to put an end to banditry, kidnapping and other problems, instead of engaging in repeated talking.
“And this is something that we are committed to as governors, in working with Mr President, so that we don’t keep on talking about something over and over again,” he said.
“But we know that with concerted efforts on our part as governors and the commitment of the Federal Government, the professional conduct of our security services and our social investment programme intensified, we shall see the end of these criminality, brigandage in our states.”
This is coming after Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai also lamented over the spate of insecurity in the country, saying that governors were helpless and frustrated.
